Recipe of the week

Meatless Monday: Cashew Tofu Stir Fry

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Although I have been only been writing about our grocery budgeting we have also set up a budget for basically everything else in our lives which includes dining out. That being said we have been trying to get creative at home by re-creating some of our favorite restaurant and take-out meals while still staying in our grocery budget. Tonight was one of those successful nights of dining in while eating one of our Chinese take-out favorites- Cashew Tofu Stir Fry.

Meatless Monday- Cashew Tofu Stir FryCashew Tofu Stir Fry
Serves 4- inspired by this recipe

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 14oz firm tofu, pressed and dried, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1.5 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons (divided) coconut oil
  • 4oz shiitake mushroom caps
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 8oz button mushrooms, quartered
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced with whites and greens separated
  • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Sauce:

  • 1/3 cup water or vegetable broth
  • 3 tablespoons garlic hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tamari
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey or agave
  • 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/4-1 teaspoon chili flakes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Place the cashews on a sheet pan and toast in the oven for 7-10 minutes, until lightly toasted.

Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

Toss the tofu cubes with the cornstarch.

Heat the 1.5 tablespoons of coconut oil in a wok over medium-high heat. When the wok is hot add the tofu and cook until lightly browned; make sure to toss frequently. Remove from the wok with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of coconut oil to the wok and add the mushrooms and peppers. Cook for 4 minutes, tossing frequently and then add the garlic and the whites of the green onions. Cook until veggies are tender; about 6-8 minutes. If necessary add a small amount of water if the veggies look dry – start with 1 tablespoon.

Add the tofu and cashews to the veggies and gently toss to combine. Whisk the sauce once more and then pour the sauce over the stir fry. Give everything a bit toss and cook just until the sauce thickens; 2-3 minutes. Top with the greens of the green onion.

Meatless Monday Cashew Stir Fry TofuI served this up with some short grain brown rice and my husband and toddler devoured it. I have to thank my husband for being my taste tester during this whole process because unfortunately my cold is getting in the way of my ability to taste my food – please tell me this will pass! Anyways now I’m on to plan our next restaurant/take-out meal at home!

What is your favorite take-out meal?

Meatless Monday: Pesto Chik’n Sandwiches

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MorningStar LogoAs most of you know Meatless Monday is everyday at our house but even so I’m always looking to add some new dishes to our weekly menu. I’m always on the look for easy meatless ingredients to create quick and easy recipes like the one I am going to share below.

While most of the time we are beans, greens and grains kind of eaters over here we sometimes have one of those days where we really want great veggie patty. I’m not one to make a lot of my own so I usually have a stash in the freezer for lazy days. Yesterday was one of those days where we just wanted sandwiches so I whipped up some Pesto Chik’n Sandwiches using MorningStar Farms® Grillers® Chik’n Veggie Patties. These Chik’n patties only have 80 calories per serving, are a great source of protein and they are cholesterol free!

MorningStar Farms - Pesto Chik'n Sandwiches - Meatless MondayThe best part? Almost all the ingredients in to make my Pesto Chik’n Sandwich can come right from you pantry making this the perfect Meatless Monday dinner because really who wants to spend their Monday nights in the kitchen?

What you’ll need for 2 servings:

Add on’s you might enjoy:

  • sundried tomatoes
  • artichoke hearts
  • (vegan) cheese
  • baby spinach

MorningStar Farms- Open Pesto - Meatless MondayAssembly:

  • First I love to broil my roma tomatoes to really get the best flavor out of them. Simply turn the broiler on high and then I cut my tomatoes in half place them on a sheet pan drizzle with olive oil and dust with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and dried or fresh thyme. Place the tomatoes under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until lightly browned on top. Warning: be careful when you open your oven as these babies let off a lot of steam so make sure to keep your face away.
  • I also love to toast my bread up so I just stick it under the broiler as well for 3 or so minutes. Keep your eye on this one or you’ll end up with burnt toast!
  • For the Chik’n patties I simple cook them based on the skillet directions on the package.
  • Now the best part the Pesto Mayo. Pour both in a bowl, mix together and then slather on both sides of your bread. The place cut the chik’n patty in half and place on one side and the tomatoes on the other, put your sandwich together and serve!

MorningStar- Pesto Chik'n- Meatless MondayArugula Pesto

Running With Tongs- Arugula PestoIngredients:

  • 1 cup raw walnuts
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 3/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 2.5 cups loosely packed baby arugula
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt + 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

  • Place the walnuts, garlic and nutritional yeast in the base of a food processor fitted with the S blade. Process until a small crumble.
  • Add the lemon juice, arugula, salt and pepper to the food processor and process on low.
  • With the food processor on slowly pour in the olive oil through the feed tube. Process until smooth.

Tip: This makes a lot of pesto so place your leftover pesto in a food storage container and top with just a thin layer of olive oil to keep it from browning. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

For those nights when I am not in the mood to create my own new recipe I love being able to have access to tons of other meatless recipes that make my life easier.  Here are a few other Meatless Monday recipes you might enjoy:
• Good Morning Breakfast casserole
• Barley Vegetable soup
• Moroccan Veggie Soup
• Buffalo Chik Wrap
• Mushroom Spinach and Artichoke lasagna
• Spicy Mango Stir Fry

Find your fresh take on eating well. Browse hundreds of meat-free recipes at MorningStarFarms.com.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Kellogg’s MorningStar via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Kellogg’s MorningStar.

What’s your favorite Meatless Monday recipe? Do any of the recipes above sound good to you?

{Recipe} Black Eyed Peas & Greens

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This dish is spicy, savory and tomato-y! This is a perfect meal for the nights you are looking for something quick, satisfying and healthy.

INGREDIENTS
• 1T olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 4-5 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced*
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp tumeric
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/3 cup white wine or vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 (6oz) can tomato paste
• 1 (15oz) can of black eyed peas,rinsed and drained OR 1 & 2/3 cups cooked black eyed peas
• 3 cups kale, collards or mustard greens, chopped into bite sized pieces

Directions
1. In a medium heavy bottom pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat; stir in the onions, carrots and celery. Cook for 6-8 minutes until they begin to soften.
2. Stir in the garlic and jalapeno; cook for 1 minute.
3. Stir in the paprika, Italian seasoning, turmeric, chili powder, salt and pepper; cook for 30 seconds.
4. Stir in the white wine and cook for 2-3 minutes until the wine has cooked off.
5. Stir in the bay leave, vegetable broth, tomato paste and black eyed peas; reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes.
6. Stir in the kale; cover and cook on medium-low for 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve over brown rice.

*If you don’t like a lot of heat or are serving this dish to kids you may want to omit the jalapeno.

Guest Post: Recipe from Brittany of Eating Bird Food

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brittany EBF

Hi Running with Tongs readers! I’m Brittany Mullins, a full-time online marketing gal, holistic health coach living in Richmond, Virginia. I’m also the author of Eating Bird Food, a healthy living blog that features nutritious (and tasty) recipes, workouts and a glimpse into my daily life, which is currently being taken over by wedding planning.

I’m excited to be guest posting for Lindsay while she’s pampering her new little bundle of joy. This is actually my second time guest posting here on Running with Tongs. Last time I shared my kale and brown rice bowls and they went over quite well so I figured I would share another vegan favorite – my raw broccoli raisin salad.

raw broccoli salad
This broccoli salad is much healthier than the one I grew up eating, which was loaded with mayo, sugar and bacon. It’s still crunchy, rich in flavor and sweet but with much healthier ingredients like raw nuts, seeds and raisins. I even managed to sneak uber-healthy apple cider vinegar into the dressing!

Raw Broccoli Raisin Salad

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

  • 6 cups broccoli (two small to medium sized crowns), chopped into bite-size pieces
  • 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • Cashew dressing (recipe below)

Preparation

  1. Mix together broccoli, raisins, red onion, raisins, and sunflower seeds.
  2. Top with dressing and combine until all ingredients are covered.

Cashew Dressing

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked at least 1- 2 hours
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon agave (or other liquid sweetener like maple syrup)
  • 1 Tablespoon shallot, chopped (optional)
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

Preparation

  1. Combine all ingredients in a high powered blender or processor until completely smooth.

Thank you Lindsay for allowing me to guest post! I hope you all enjoy this salad as much as I do.

Towering Tempeh Club

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As I was saying in my Garden Cocktail post yesterday Neil and I decided to recreate our amazing dinner from Friday night. The best part of our meal was the Vegan Club Burger towering with tempeh, tomato, avocado, sprouts, aioli and pistou. My version is a little different than Kismet’s but it was just as good…might I even say better?

Serves 2

Ingredients:

  • 8oz marinated tempeh, sliced into for squares (marinate below)
  • Tomato, thinly sliced
  • Red Onion, thinly sliced
  • Lettuce, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 Avocado, thinly sliced
  • 2-3 Burger buns (enough for 3 layers), lightly toasted
  • Parsley Mayo (recipe below)

Tempeh Marinate:

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

Whisk together and toss with the tempeh. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes to over night.

Parsley Mayo:

  • 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon garlic olive oil (or regular)
  • 1/2 tablespoon jalapeno, minced
  • 2 heaping tablespoons of vegenaise

Use a mortar and pestle to combine the parsley, garlic, salt, pepper and nutritional yeast. Add the olive oil and work together to combine. Mix in the vegenaise. Note: if you do not have a mortar and pestle use a mini food processor.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Place tempeh on a parchment lined baking and drizzle any extra marinate over the tempeh. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes.

Spread a dollop of mayo on the bottom bun top with lettuce, tomato, tempeh, another layer of bun, spread with a dollop of mayo, lettuce, onion, tomato, tempeh, avocado and top with the bun cover that has been spread with a dollop of mayo.

Recipe Of The Week: Curried Quinoa and Cranberry Salad

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Since I am crazy busy with work this week I have invited Mellissa from A Fit and Spicy Life to share one of her recipes.  Enjoy!

Curried Quinoa and Cranberry Salad

Ingredients (Serves 4)

For the Salad

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds
  • Salt/Pepper

Dressing

  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons agave nectar
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Instructions

  • Bring the quinoa, broth, and water to a bowl. Add quinoa and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
  • In a small bowl whisk together orange juice, lemon juice, olive, oil, mustard, agave and curry powder.
  • Place cooled quinoa and dressing in a large bowl, top with cranberries and almonds.
  • Season with salt and pepper. Chill for a few hours until cold. Enjoy!

Mellissa is a 30 something girl living in Minneapolis who lives fitness, food, travel and wine. She creates healthy recipes and tries to share her love of food with friends and family 

Recipe of The Week: Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble

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On Saturday we were at the farmers market and we tired strawberry-rhubarb juice we fell in love. We liked it so much that we ended up purchasing the ingredients at the market to make it again ourselves.

Fast forward to Sunday night. I have had a major craving for a fruit crumble and then it hit me strawberry-rhubarb crumble would be amazing. So our juice ingredients quickly became the ingredients for a crumble. I started on the crumble and sent Neil out to the store to pick up some vanilla coconut milk ice cream- because really how can you have warm crumble without ice cream?

Since this would be my first time ever using rhubarb I searched around the internet until I found what seemed to be a good recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble.  I finally came across this recipe from Willow over at Will Cook For Friends.  Her recipe is vegan and gluten free, but because I was out of gluten free flours I decided to just make mine vegan and used all purpose flour.  I also cut the recipe in half and used coconut sugar instead of granulated sugar, otherwise I followed the recipes ingredient list and directions.

The result was a delicious crumble! It was a little sweet for me but overall it was delicious.  We even had a little extra filling leftover (because we couldn’t finish our bowls) and we used it last night as a topping to our vanilla coconut milk ice cream.