Friday Recipes

It's finally Friday. Yay! Here are six yummy vegetarian recipes to help you through the weekend, including Easy Vegan Tempeh Chili, Watermelon Sorbet, and Puff Puff. Enjoy!

VEGAN CHINESE KUNG PAO TOFU

This is from Jolinda Hackett, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. Jolinda wrote, “Never had kung pao tofu before? Looking for something new to try for a vegetarian dinner tonight? Try this vegetarian Chinese dish!

“Although this traditional Chinese food dish is usually made with chicken, you can use tofu to create a very similar vegetarian and vegan version of traditional kung pao chicken using all the same Chinese ingredients and seasonings, including sesame oil, red pepper flakes, onion, lime and hot sauce. This vegetarian kung pao tofu recipe also calls for lots of healthy Chinese veggies including snow peas, bok choy, cabbage, and mushrooms.

“Serve this Szechuan-style Chinese kung pao tofu recipe over rice.

“Need this recipe to be gluten-free as well as vegan? Double-check that your is gluten-free, and use tamari in place of the soy sauce.”

Prep Time: 45 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Yield: about 3 servings.

View this online here.

Ingredients

3 tbsp vegetable broth

1 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari to keep it gluten-free)

1 pound firm or extra firm tofu, cut into bite-sized cubes

1 tbsp sesame oil + 2 tbsp

1 onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

1 small bok choy, chopped

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1/2 cup snow peas

1/2 small purple cabbage, sliced thin

1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

1 tsp hot sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Prepare your tofu. Like most vegetarian tofu recipes, this tofu recipe will taste best if you press the tofu first. This allows the tofu to absorb more of the flavorings and seasonings which you add to it.

Once your tofu is ready, combine the 3 tbsp vegetable broth, lime juice, soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil and the tofu in a small bowl. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes, mixing occasionally to coat the tofu well.

Pre-heat oven to 375 F. Grease a baking sheet or cover with foil and bake tofu for 15 minutes, turning once.

In a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, saute the onion, bell pepper, red pepper flakes, mushrooms and ginger in 2 tbsp sesame oil for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add bok choy and vegetable broth and cook for 3 to 5 more minutes. Add cabbage and snow peas.

Reduce heat to low and add tofu and remaining ingredients, cooking just until combined and heated through. Serve over rice.

WATERMELON SORBET

This came from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Makes 8 servings.

The recipe began, “This fresh sorbet is the perfect dessert for a tropical meal.”

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 4 cups seeded and pureed watermelon

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon lime zest

Directions

In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup watermelon puree and sugar to simmer and remove it from heat. Add lime juice and zest and allow mixture to cool for 20 minutes. Add the 4 cups fresh watermelon puree to melon-lime mixture, then freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

EASY VEGAN TEMPEH CHILI

This is from OnTrackDiabetes, a site with some good information for diabetics and their families.

Servings: 6; Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 30 minutes; Total: 40 minutes

You can view this at https://www.ontrackdiabetes.com/recipes/easy-vegan-tempeh-chili.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces tempeh

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)

1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)

1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1 15-ounce can of organic pinto beans (undrained)

1 15-ounce can of organic kidney beans (drained)

2 15-ounce cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes (undrained)

3/4 cup of water

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large (6-quart) saucepan on medium heat.

Remove tempeh from the package and crumble it into saucepan. Brown for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add chopped onion, bell peppers and celery to saucepan. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes.

Add beans (1 drained and 1 undrained), tomatoes, water and remaining seasonings. Stir well to combine.

Simmer on low heat for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until peppers are cooked yet still firm.

Nutrition Information Per Serving: 330 calories (33% calories from fat), 18 g protein, 12 g total fat (2 g saturated fat), 38 g carbohydrates, 12 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 767 mg sodium

MAPLE CORNBREAD MUFFINS

This recipe is also from the February 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 52. It begins, “A slightly sweet cornbread helps tame the heat of spicy dishes such as chili.” Makes 12 muffins.

To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/maple-cornbread-muffins/

1/4 cup nonhydrogenated vegan margarine, melted

1 cup plain soymilk

2 Tbs. maple syrup

2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1 cup stone-ground cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbs. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

Whisk together soymilk, margarine, maple syrup, and vinegar in bowl. Whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in separate bowl. Stir wet mixture into dry mixture. Fold in corn kernels.

Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, and bake 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into muffins comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then unmold, and serve warm.

nutritional information Per Muffin: Calories: 148; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 25 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 244 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 7 g; Vegan
PUFF PUFF

This is from Yewande Komolafe in the The New York Times cooking email. Yewande wrote, “The genius of puff puff is in the simplicity of the dough: A nutmeg-spiked batter, a bit of patience for the yeast to rise and time to fry up the balls will result in the most delightful little puffs. If the batter seems wet, you are on the right track. The consistency should be similar to a yeasted pancake or waffle batter. Tossing the fried dough in spiced sugar is optional, but recommended: The added layer creates an irresistible crunch. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.”

Yield: 8 to 10 servings (about 32 puffs); Time: 30 minutes, plus rising

This was featured in “Yewande Komolafe’s 10 Essential Nigerian Recipes” and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020287-puff-puff.

Ingredients

For the Puff Puff:

1 1/2 cups warm water or whole milk (110 degrees)

4 teaspoons active dry yeast

2/3 cup granulated sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

3 to 4 cups canola oil or other neutral oil, for frying

For the Spiced Sugar:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Pinch of ground cloves

Preparation

In a small bowl, whisk together the warm water, yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let sit until foamy, 8 to 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, nutmeg and the remaining sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture once it’s foamy. Combine, stirring with a wooden spoon, to incorporate all the ingredients into a smooth batter. The batter should be wet and slightly loose, similar to a yeasted waffle batter.

Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and allow dough to double in size, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the spiced sugar: In a medium bowl, toss the sugar, nutmeg, allspice and cloves to combine; set aside.

Pour 1 inch of oil into a large, deep skillet. Line a baking sheet with a rack or paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Once the batter has doubled in size, heat the oil over medium-high to 350 degrees. Drop tablespoonfuls of batter into the hot oil, working in batches to avoid crowding the skillet. Fry the puff puff, turning frequently until golden brown all over and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. (Be careful not to let the oil get too hot or the exteriors will become overly dark before the interiors are cooked through.) Move the puff puff to the rack or paper towels to drain and repeat the process until all the batter has been fried.

Toss the puff puff in the spiced sugar to coat while still warm. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

MASALA BLACK-EYED PEAS

This is from Zainab Shah in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Zainab wrote, "Tender, creamy, earthy black-eyed peas spruced up with ginger, garlic, chiles and hefty spices like Kashmiri red chile powder, cumin seeds and garam masala result in a comforting, piquant main. This dish is equally suitable for solo dining — the simple preparation results in versatile leftovers that can be had on toast, with eggs or cooked shredded meats — or for feeding a crowd. The cooking method is typical for beans and peas across South Asia, and the recipe works just as well with any cooked beans from chickpeas, kidney beans, peas or whatever cooked or canned variety may be handy." I'm hungry, just reading this!

Time: 25 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings

To view this yumminess online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024236-masala-black-eyed-peas. And while you're there, sign up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter (if you haven't already). Great stuff there.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons ghee or neutral oil

1 medium yellow or red onion, finely chopped

1-1/2 teaspoons ginger paste or freshly grated ginger

1-1/2 teaspoons garlic paste or freshly grated garlic

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

3/4 teaspoon Kashmiri or other mild red chile powder

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

3 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped or 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained

3 fresh green Thai or serrano chiles, chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice (from about half a lemon)

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)

Cooked rice or roti, for serving

Preparation

Heat ghee in a medium-sized pot for 30 seconds on medium-low. Add onion, ginger and garlic, and cook on high heat, stirring frequently, until onions are transparent, 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in cumin seeds, chile powder and turmeric. Add tomatoes and salt. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the oil separates, 5 to 7 minutes. (If you want your finished dish to be less saucy, cook the tomatoes a little longer.)

Stir in black-eyed peas and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Top with green chiles, lemon juice, garam masala and cilantro, if you like. Serve with rice or roti.