Banana-Almond Breakfast Barley

Barley for breakfast might seem like an odd concept for some, but whole grains make truly excellent morning fare.  They have lots of fiber and even some protein, two things a good breakfast should definitely contain.  They also end up being far less expensive than packaged cereal (though you always want to try and find whole grains in bulk, as packaged grains tend to be marked up significantly).   Make it ahead of time and you'll have a hot breakfast in less than two minutes the next morning and throughout the week! 

This recipe is also a really wonderful way to use overripe bananas.  How many of us have thrown out brown bananas because we knew we'd never get around to making banana bread?  Instead, remove the fruit from its peel, throw it in a container or plastic bag and freeze it.  Frozen bananas are great to have around if you like to make smoothies, or you can think of other creative ways to use them up!

Banana-Almond Breakfast Barley
makes 6 to 8 servings

2 T butter (or non-dairy substitute)
5 overripe bananas (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 cups pearled barley
3-4 cups milk (or substitute - almond or coconut milk work best)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp herbs de provence (optional)
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Add butter to a large saucepan and melt over medium-high heat.  Add bananas and allow to lightly caramelize in the butter for about 5 minutes.  Add barley and stir.  Reduce heat to medium and add 2 cups of milk, salt and herbs de provence.  Allow barley to simmer, uncovered, reducing heat to medium-low once liquid starts to bubble.  Stir frequently until barley has absorbed most of the liquid.  Add another cup of milk and repeat the cooking process.  Barley will take at least 30 minutes to cook.  It should be chewy but not at all chalky in the center (if after 3 cups it still doesn't taste done, add one more cup and repeat cooking process).  Once the barley is cooked, add sliced almonds.  Taste and adjust salt if necessary.  Mix well and serve.

Asian Cole Slaw with Ginger-Peanut Dressing

I'll just say it right now:  I love this recipe!  The dressing is super-flavorful, tangy, garlicky and rich tasting and the vegetables are fresh and crunchy.  It is the perfect balance of healthful, wholesome food with enough good fat to make you feel satisfied.  

Asian Cole Slaw with Ginger-Peanut Dressing
serves 4

1 lb firm tofu
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup peanut oil
6 cups shredded cabbage (mixture of green and red varieties)
2 carrots, shredded
1 yellow pepper, sliced very thin
1 red pepper, sliced very thin
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 bunch scallions, sliced thin

Dressing:
Juice of 2 limes (about 1/8 of a cup)
4 garlic cloves
2 T rice vinegar
3 T soy sauce
2 T fresh ginger, minced
1 T agave syrup (or honey)
1 T sriracha chili sauce
1 T toasted seasame oil
1/4 cup peanut butter

Slice tofu into four 1/2 inch thick rectangles and drain between two cutting boards lined with dish towels (or paper towels).  Allow tofu to press for at least 30 minutes for best results.

Meanwhile, make the dressing.  Add all the dressing ingredients in a small blender and puree until it reaches a creamy, thick consistency.  Thin with a little water, if desired.

Place the flour in a small plate and lightly dredge each piece of tofu.  In a large, flat-bottomed pan, heat peanut oil over medium-high and fry the tofu pieces until browned and crispy, about 5 minutes per side.  Remove tofu from oil and drain on a paper towel.  Season with just a little pinch of salt.

In a large bowl, combine vegetables and all but 1/8 cup of dressing (enough to spread over the tofu pieces) and toss well to combine.  Spread the remaining dressing over the tofu pieces and cut into triangles.  Serve cole slaw with tofu triangles arranged on top.

Vegetable Burritos

It seems to me that one of the most common misconceptions about healthy eating is that it costs more.  In my experience, this is not so!  In fact, when I was a perpetually broke college student a whole decade ago, I ate very well on a minuscule food budget.  Lots of beans and rice, lentils, yoghurt, applesauce and other simple, wholesome foods were the staples of my diet back then.   

This burrito recipe is a perfect example of how to eat well without spending a lot of money.  All the ingredients are widely available, beans are about the cheapest source of protein there is, and the veggies can be just about anything you have in the fridge.  You can make a huge diversity of variations depending on what you have, what's on sale, or what's in season, including zucchini, asparagus, leeks, eggplant, potatoes, and just about anything else you can think of!  Choose what you like and make the recipe in big batches, because these burritos are great for freezing. 

Vegetable Burritos
makes about 6 burritos

Beans:
1 pound dried pinto beans
3 T olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne
salt and pepper to taste

Veggies:
1 T olive oil
2 red bell peppers, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1/2 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped
6 whole wheat tortillas

First, make the beans.  Pick through beans and remove any rocks.  In a pressure cooker, add dried beans and enough water to fill half the pot.  Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to de-pressurize at room temp.  When beans have cooled, slightly, remove from pressure cooker and strain in a colander.  Rinse well.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, add olive oil.  Once hot, add onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for another minute.  Add beans, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper and stir to combine.  Use a wooden spoon to mash the beans as you cook and stir them for about 10 minutes.  If you like a smoother consistency, add about 1/2 cup vegetable stock and puree with a hand blender.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large flat-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil.  Add peppers and onion and fry until onions darken and peppers are soft.  Add kale and season with salt.  Remove from heat and stir frequently until kale is softened by the heat of the other vegetables.

Add a large spoonful (about 2/3 a cup) of beans to each tortilla and spread around, leaving about 1 inch of room around the edge.  Top with a large spoonful of veggies and roll into a burrito.  Serve with salsa, hot sauce, fresh cilantro, avocado slices, or guacamole, if desired.

Spaghetti Squash with Beans & Greens

Truth be told, I have never been all that impressed with the Spaghetti Squash.  The somewhat trendy tendency to treat it as a replacement for pasta is, for me, utterly unsatisfying.  There's something about a pile of squash with spaghetti sauce that leaves me feeling cheated.  However, if you start treating this vegetable as a vegetable, rather than spaghetti in disguise, it becomes something else entirely!  The light, delicate sweetness and interesting texture of spaghetti squash make it an excellent home for bright, zingy flavors and crispy textures. 

This recipe is simple, cleansing and light.  It makes an excellent post-over-indulgence type of meal (I often like to have something like that on Mondays to give the week a refreshing start).  You can also make this as a side dish to go alongside any protein with bright flavors like lemon and white balsamic vinegar. 

Spaghetti Squash with Beans & Greens

1 Spaghetti Squash
2 cups kale, stems removed and torn into bite-sized pieces
2 cups brussels sprouts, leaves separated and core removed
2 cups broccoli florets, roughly chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
zest of two lemons, juice reserved
2 cups white beans, cooked (canellini or navy work well)
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
1 T olive oil
2 tsp walnut oil
1 tsp peanut oil
1 T white balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Half the spaghetti squash length-wise and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet, cut side-down.  Roast squash until soft, about 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, toss the kale, brussels, and broccoli with garlic, lemon zest, olive oil and salt to taste and place on a large baking sheet.  Bake, tossing mixture occasionally, until some of the leaves are crispy, about 10 minutes.

Once squash has cooled a little, use a large spoon to scrape the stringy flesh into a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk the cumin, lemon juice, balsamic, peanut and walnut oils, and salt and pepper to taste until combined.  Add to squash and toss well.  Add greens, white beans and almonds and toss just before serving (so the greens stay a little crispy).

Happy Peanut Noodles with Crispy Tofu

I discovered the wonderful world of Asian-style peanut sauces during my first job as a line cook.  Since then, I have made it with lots of variations and enjoyed them all - you almost can't go wrong!  Peanut butter adds a wholesome richness to the sauce, while soy sauce gives it that signature salty, umami taste. 

For all of you out there who insist that tofu sucks, don't be scared away!  Tofu, in fact, does suck when you don't prepare it right.  Some people are perfectly happy with some plain-tasting, soggy bits of un-prepared tofu thrown into any old stir fry but, well, that's just not the way we do things here!  Pressing the tofu allows it to acheive a more chewy, toothsome texture so for best results, do this step well-ahead of time.  The better you press it, the tastier the tofu will be!


Happy Peanut Noodles with Crispy Tofu
makes 2 large or 3 regular-sized servings

1/2 a package dried Udon noodles (about 5 ounces)
peanut oil, for frying
1/2 lb. extra firm tofu
1/4 cup flour
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 large red pepper, cut into matchsticks
3 cups baby bok choy, sliced
1 bunch scallions, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter (unsweetened)
2 T rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
1-3 T sriracha chili sauce (to taste)

Slice the tofu into 4 thin squares and very gently squeeze to remove excess water.  Place a towel (or a couple of paper towels) on a cutting board, then top with tofu squares.  Add another towel and another cutting board on top of the tofu.  Place a large pot, or any other heavy item, on top of the cutting board and allow tofu to squeeze dry.  If using paper towels, you may have to change them out once or twice until most of the water is absorbed (at least an hour or more if you have time).

Once tofu is ready, fill a large, shallow, flat-bottomed pan with about 1/4 inch of peanut oil and place on medium heat.  Once oil is heated, gently place the tofu squares in the pan.  Fry each side until nice and golden, about 4-6 minutes per side.  Remove tofu from pan and drain on a paper towel.  Dump all but a couple of teaspoons of the oil from the pan and set aside. 

Meanwhile, cook udon noodles according to package directions and drain in a colander.  Set aside.

Make peanut sauce.  In a blender, add garlic, soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, and chili sauce and puree until smooth.  Add a little water to thin the sauce to desired consistency.  Set aside.

Return the tofu pan to medium heat and add the pepper and carrot.  Stir fry until just a little tender, about 3 minutes.  Add bok choy and remove from heat.  In a large bowl, combine noodles, vegetables, scallions and half the peanut sauce and toss well to combine.  Cut tofu squares in half diagonally.  Place them on top of the noodles and drizzle some or all of the remaining sauce directly on the tofu.