I'm Published!

As I have previously mentioned before, PositScience has published ThinkFood Cookbook containing recipes aimed at brain healthy eating. The book includes recipes from 50 food bloggers around the world including one from, well, moi! The hardcover book will be available for purchase later this month but for now you can get all 50 'brain healthy' recipes for free by signing up for their recipe of the week mailing list. This week's feature recipe is my very own Spicy Almond Soba Noodles that combines loads of veggies with a creamy, nutty almond flavor and crunch. The vitamin E in almonds may decrease the risk of coronary artery disease and slow Alzheimer's, making this a main dish that is both good tasting and good for your brain! Get the facts at www.thinkfoodcookbook.com.

What do you think about my recipe? Any suggestions on other veggies that you might add?

Spicy Soba Noodle Stir-Fry

I guess you can say that I've been on a stir-fry kick but I can't help but share this with you- definitely a dinner worth trying for yourselves. I caught a glimpse of Mario Batali this morning on the Today Show making a raw asparagus salad that looked fresh and appropriate for the season. I thought I'd try something similar instead of the usual green salad to start. The Parmesan really adds an bold taste to the dish but it is also wonderful without it if you're doing the vegan thing.

This Spicy Soba Noodle Stir-Fry recipe is taken from the The Candle Cafe Cookbook, one of New York's renowned and one of my favorite vegan restaurants in the city. I actually introduced my husband to tempeh tonight and, let's just say, this is the perfect dish for a meat-eating Texan, "no tofu please" guy to try it. Not only did he enjoy it, he officially approved the dish and has added Spicy Soba Noodle Stir-Fry to our ultimate "dinner rotation". I did some of the prep work ahead of time (the peanut sauce can be made well in advance and Whole Foods does a great job of having prepped vegetables in their refrigerator section!). Don't be intimidated by the amount of ingredients. It really is an easy recipe to follow.

Shaved Asparagus with Parmesan

Asparagus bunch, ends snapped off
Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved
Juice of a lemon
splash of olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Using a mandolin or vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus into thin long strips. Put the Parmigiano in a large bowl and whisk in the lemon juice, slowly drizzling in the oil. Add the asparagus and toss gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Spicy Soba Noodle Stir-Fry

Peanut Sauce
1 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup brown rice vinegar
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1 Tbsp crushed red chili flakes
1 Tbsp ketchup (I know, I thought this was weird too but trust me)
1/4 cup Tamari soy sauce
1 Tbsp Tabasco
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 Tbsp sesame oil

Soba Noodles and Tempeh
1 8-ounce package Tempeh, cubed
pinch of sea salt
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb soba noodles

Stir-Fry
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
3/4 chopped onion
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup trimmed and blanched string beans
1 1/2 cups cut and blanched broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
1 Tbsp Tamari soy sauce
2 1/2 tsp sesame oil

To prepare the peanut sauce, place all of the ingredients with 2 cups of water in a blender and blend until smooth. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Place the tempeh cubes in a bowl and cover with the peanut sauce. Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to overnight. Drain and set aside.

To prepare the soba noodles, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the salt and olive oil. Add the soba noodles and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

To prepare the stir-fry, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan or wok over high heat. Add tempeh and saute for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, onion, cabbage, string beans, and broccoli and stir-fry for 5 minutes, then add the peppers and mushrooms and saute for about 2 minutes. Add some peanut sauce and continue to saute, tossing the vegetables, tempeh and sauce together until the desired doneness, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the tamari soy sauce and sesame oil and stir-fry for an additional 3 minutes. Serve over the soba noodles with additional peanut sauce. Serves about 6.

Healthy Take on Thai

I came across this recipe in Food and Wine magazine and I have been craving the flavors ever since. Soba noodles are made of buckwheat flour which provides vitamins B1 and B2, several minerals and nearly twice the amount of proteins found in rice. Garlicky, spicy and bright with lime, this is a dish that is full of flavor and warms the body on cold winter days.

Soba Noodles with Sauteed Shrimp

6 ounces soba noodles

1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp tamari
1 tsp agave syrup
2 large shallots, thinly sliced and separated into rings
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 tsp lime zest
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined
salt
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro (optional)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
lime wedges, for serving
black sesame seeds, for garnish

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add soba noodles and cook according to directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Place in a bowl and toss together with 2 tsp of the oil with the soy sauce, tamari and agave syrup. Set aside.

In a skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden brown and crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel. Do the same with the garlic and transfer to the paper towel.

In a bowl, combine the lime zest and juice with the remaining 1 Tbsp of oil. Toss in the shrimp and season with salt. Saute the shrimp in the pan over medium to high heat, turning once, until glazed and cooked through.

Arrange the noodles in a bowl. Top with the shrimp and sprinkle with the scallions, cilantro, crushed red pepper and the fried shallots, garlic and sesame seeds. Serve with lime wedges alongside.

Serves 6

Enjoy!

Super Bowl Sundayyyyy

This year I wanted to tackle (no pun intended) Super Bowl by keeping it simple, hearty and wake up with no regrets. We had a few friends over. I put on a pot veggie chili and I asked that everyone bring something to nibble on. Hummus and crudites, chips and salsa, wings and wine. It was the prefect table of food to get comfortable and enjoy the game (er, the company, commercials and wine)...

Veggie Chili

I found a chili recipe on VegNews.com. I was excited to read that the Austin Fire Department's Engine 2 is vegetarian and they shared their award-winning recipe for all to try. This recipe is adapted from theirs.

1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 packages vegetarian "beef" crumbles
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon cumin
4 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 can pinto beans, rinsed
2 tablespoons flour
Water

Sautée onions and garlic in a heavy pot. Add vegetarian crumbles and cook a few more minutes. Add the rest of ingredients, except flour, and add enough water to cover ingredients plus 1/2 inch. Simmer for 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.Add enough water to the flour to make a thin paste, and add to pot. Stir until chili thickens. Serve with sliced avocado on the side. Serves 6

I have to say, it was a hit and the guys didn't care that it was meatless!

Of course I had to have something sweet to end the night with...

Vegan Chocolate Rice Treats

1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
3 cups brown rice cereal
1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the brown rice syrup, almond butter and chocolate chips together until smooth. Stir in the brown rice cereal until thoroughly coated. Press into a greased 8x8 or 9x9 pan and allow to cool completely. Place in the refrigerator and let set before cutting. Serve at room temperature.