Sweet Chile-Lime Glazed Veggies over Quinoa

A cool new Asian grocery store opened up in Antioch recently called County Square Market. It's right behind the Sizzler on Hillcrest. I went in there and was thrilled to see the variety of choices in condiments, produce, meat and ready-made Asian food. I didn't have a lot of time to browse, but I certainly found some of my favorite Thai cooking ingredients, including Mae-Ploy curry paste, Dragonfly oyster sauce, Golden Boy fish sauce, Chaokoh coconut milk, holy basil, kaffir lime leaves, galanga, and hot thai bird chiles. I even dug out my old recipes and hope to start doing some more Asian dishes for you (and me!).

I saw this recipe over at Vegan Yum Yum, which was my inspiration. I changed some minor things and added more veggies. This was also my first time cooking with quinoa...and I LOVED it! I was imagining a fibrous bland grain, but it wasn't that way at all! I toasted it first which gave it a sweet nutty flavor. My skepticism prevented me from buying more than one cup from the bulk bin, so I will have to pick up more later. It's a nice alternative to rice or pasta - and it has way more protein and fiber!

Sweet Chile-Lime Glazed Veggies over Quinoa

Quinoa:

1 T. olive oil

1 cup quinoa

2 cups veggie broth

Heat oil in a pan and add the quinoa. Cook, stirring frequently, until the quinoa is golden and fragrant. You might hear a little popping sound. Add the broth, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, work on the rest of the dish.

Glaze:
3 T. sugar
2 T. lime juice
1 tsp. lime zest
2 T. reduced sodium soy sauce
1 T. Dragonfly oyster sauce*
1 T. water
1 clove minced garlic
2 red thai chiles, chopped fine
1 T. chopped mint

Mix everything in a bowl and set aside.
* Here is a picture of the thai chiles and they oyster sauce that I prefer.

Veggies:
1 T. olive oil
1 block firm tofu
2 japanese eggplants
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. water
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 green onions cut into 1/2 inch pieces

I'm not sure the correct way to cook tofu - I just know how good it tastes when the outside is crunchy and the inside is smooth. I cut my tofu kind of thin, pressed on it with some paper towels and then put it in 1 T. of really hot oil. Use your non-stickiest non-stick pan. Trust me on that. Let it brown on all sides. Put in a separate bowl. Slice the eggplants once lengthwise and then into half inch pieces. Since I used the oil for the tofu, I decided not to on the other veggies. Get your nonstick pan hot and add the eggplant. When its starting to brown too much, add the soy-water mixture. After a few minutes, toss in the chopped bell pepper. The liquid should evaporate about the same time that the veggies are soft. Add back in the tofu and green onions. Pour glaze sauce over the veggies. It should bubble up and get a little thick. That's it.

Honestly, I would have been extremely happy with this dish if I ordered it at a restaurant. And while I was taking pictures, I turned around to see the kids devouring the quinoa. Shhh...I'm not telling them its *gasp* healthy!

Grilled Yams with Honey-Ginger Dressing

After grilling some chicken yesterday, I got inspired to try something new (for me) on the BBQ. This was simple and not at all messy to make - one cutting board, a knife and a bowl to make the dressing. I loved the way the sweet and sour ginger dressing soaked into the hot grilled potatoes.

If you are curious about the other thing on the dish, it is the rest of our dinner: Pan-fried Red Snapper, done up real simple in a seasoned flour and cornmeal crust and fried in about a teaspoon of olive oil.

Grilled Yams with Honey-Ginger Dressing

2 yams, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
Cooking spray to coat

2 Tbs. honey
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbs. canola oil
dash hot sauce
salt/pepper to taste
cilantro for garnish

Get your grill going on medium. Slice the yams and coat with cooking spray and some salt. Throw them on the hot grill and cook on one side for 7 minutes. Turn and cook another 7 minutes, or until tender. Prepare the dressing while they are cooking - I use a microplane to grate the ginger. Mix the rest of the ingredients together. Pour over the hot potatoes, garnish with cilantro and serve. Serves 4-6.

I would like to say the kids loved this and gobbled it up. They did not. Mom and dad ate their portions so no worries there.

African Lentil Soup

I'll take "Spices" for $800, Alex. On this continent you would find a spice blend of cinnamon, tumeric, ginger, and cumin all together in one soup.

What is "Africa"?

After looking at several recipes for lentil soups, I decided to take a few ingredients from something called "Moroccan Stew" and "African Chicken Soup" to make our dinner tonight. After being away for the past 4 days (I wish it was on vacation, but thats a whole other story), I found that most of the veggies in the fridge went south on me. I had carrots and an onion left.

Here is what I came up with and it was totally yummy. My two year old even begged me for a taste. I thought it might be a little too spicy for him, but he came back for several more bites. Scott also raved about it, said he liked the spice combo and asked if it was healthy. Indeed!

African Lentil Soup

1 T. olive oil

1 chopped onion

3 carrots chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp tumeric

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. cayenne

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1/2 c. chopped cilantro

6 cups water or veggie broth

1 cup lentils (rinsed)

1/2 cup orzo or other small pasta

2T creamy peanut butter

Saute the onions and carrots until starting to turn soft, about 7 minutes. Add all the spices and drained tomatoes (save the juice) and saute for another 5 minutes, stirring often. Dump in the broth, reserved tomato juice, cilantro and lentils. Simmer with the lid on for 2 hours. Remove lid, add orzo, cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter until melted. You can eat it like that or thicken it up by stirring with a stick blender for a few seconds. Squeeze in a little lemon juice if you like the tang.

Jicama Orange Salad

If you've never tried the sweet crunch of a jicama, now is the time. In the produce aisle, you'd never guess what lurks underneath it's dingy brown skin (it almost looks like a big turnip). But get it home and peel it, you will find a wonderful and healthy snack. Most times I just like to chop it up into sticks the size of baby carrots and keep it in the fridge for snacking raw.

This time, I decided on a light and fresh salad, dressed with the juice of oranges, cilantro, cumin and cayenne for a hint of Latin spice.

Jicama Orange Salad

1 small jicama, julienned

1 small avocado, chopped

2 navel oranges, supremed

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 cup orange juice

1 T. rice wine vinegar

1 T. canola oil

1/4 t. cumin

dash cayenne

salt to taste

Mix first four ingredients. Mix the rest in a bowl and drizzle over the salad.