THIS IS IT! The culmination of our 5 part series with the host of PBS’ “Christina Cooks.” And now we get to the tasty stuff… a complete meal plan for a vegetarian feast that you can prepare for yourself, family and friends…
Tofu Fried Rice
Makes 3-4 servings
Avocado or olive oil
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
½ yellow onion, cut into thin half moons
Soy sauce
1 stalk celery, cut into thin diagonal slices
1 medium carrot, cut into thin julienne pieces
12 snow peas, thinly sliced on the diagonal
½ block extra firm tofu, cut into small cubes*
1 cup cooked brown rice
2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
Juice of ¼ fresh lemon
Place oil, garlic and onion in a skillet or wok over medium heat. When the onion begins to sizzle, add a splash of soy sauce and sauté onions until just tender, about 2 minutes. Add celery, a splash of soy sauce and sauté for 1 minute. Add carrot and snow peas, a splash of soy sauce and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in tofu and season lightly with soy sauce. Spread cooked rice over vegetables evenly. Season lightly with soy sauce and add ¼ cup water to the skillet. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in green onion and lemon juice and serve.
*You may use seasoned baked tofu, sold in many markets to bring more intense flavor to this dish or to infuse the dish with a flavor your family likes: Indian, Barbecue, Italian, Thai, etc.
Note: You may use packaged, frozen, pre-cut veggies for this recipe to save time and work. The mixture of vegetables can be varied.
Crisp Watercress Salad
Makes 2-3 servings
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 bunch watercress, rinsed well, hand shredded into bite size pieces
2 tangerines, peeled, sectioned
½ cup almonds
½ cup raisins (organic if possible)
Combine dressing ingredients in the bottom of your salad bowl. Add watercress, tangerines, almonds and raisins and toss to coat ingredients with dressing.
*You may use pear or apple slices, unsweetened dried cranberries, hazelnuts, walnuts or pine nuts. You can change the salad completely by adding cherry tomatoes and cucumbers or olives and leaving out the fruit.
Berry Crumble
Makes 4 individual crumbles
Crumble topping
½ cup almond meal (purchased or whole almonds ground in a food processor)
2 teaspoons avocado oil
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
Filling
2 cups mixed fruit, fresh or frozen berries, chopped apples, pears, peaches or plums
2 teaspoons arrowroot flour
2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
Grated zest of 1 organic lemon
Preheat oven to 350o and lightly oil 4 3-inch ramekins. Place them on a baking sheet.
Combine the topping ingredients, mixing by hand to create the texture of wet sand. Set aside.
Mix fruit with arrowroot, rice syrup and lemon zest, tossing gently to coat the fruit. Spoon fruit evenly into 4 ramekins. Sprinkle topping over each ramekin covering completely and evenly.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is browned.
How To Put It All Together…
Preheat your oven.
While the oven preheats, pull together the ingredients for the Berry Crumbles. Prep the Crumbles and put them in the oven.
Wash your vegetables for the Fried Rice. Place the skillet on the stove with the oil in it. Mince your garlic; slice the onion and throw them in the pan. Turn on the heat and go back to your prep while the onions heat up. Continue prepping the veggies and adding them in the order in the recipe. Add the tofu, the rice, the water, cover and cook as per the recipe.
While the rice cooks, rinse and dry the watercress. Set aside and make the dressing in the salad bowl. Prepare the rest of the ingredients for the salad and combine.
Pull the Crumbles out of the oven and dinner should be ready to serve…in about thirty minutes.
Christina Pirello, MFN, CCN is a bright, free spirited, vivacious redhead who is one of America’s preeminent authorities on natural and whole foods with a radiant personality that only serves to make her message more powerful. She’s made it her purpose in life to show Americans that they can look their best and feel great too, by learning to eat natural, organic food. Learn more at her
website and
blog.
“>
We just wanted to again say “thank you” to everyone who participated in our Battle Station giveaway. Also welcome to our many new fans and followers. You will all have many chances to win great prizes and cash in on discounts as followers of Ergo Chef. We have some exciting new product announcements and promotions coming up, so stay tuned.
Check what you have in your refrigerator, freezer and cupboards that need to be used up, and fill in your menu plan using these items first. This is your “go-to” list.
