Tofu, Corn & Snap Pea Burritos

I'm really excited about this burrito post.

Sure, I've made some other burritos before with other delicious ( and some similar) ingrediences (Tofu, Black Bean & Corn and Grilled Shrimp and Zucchini). Sure, they were equally exciting to eat and share.

But oy. I'm really excited about this post, because it shows me how far my photo skills have come since I started out to conquer this blogging hobby. Well, either my skills have gotten better or my camera has gotten better. You decide. (Camera)

But I finally feel like my photos are starting to really capture freshness and color and detail. Those elements are really important to me. After taste of course! I love fresh food with lots of color and I love being able to share that.

These burritos have the perfect amount of crunch. I really hate a soggy or mushy burrito. I never really understood restaurants that cover them in sauce (I mean.. maybe it's tradition or maybe it makes some people happy) or why all burritos don't include lettuce. I need something crisp. I gots teeth and I wanna use them before it's too late and I'm eating mashed peas 5 nights a week.

Ew mashed peas. Shudder.

Soundtrack:


Tofu, Corn & Snap Pea Burritos
Serves 4-5


1 1/2 packages of extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed (I used 1 1/2 because I reserved 1/2 a block for use in salads. You could certainly use both or just 1.)
EVOO
1 c snap peas, cleaned, trimmed and halved
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chipotle seasoning
1 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp agave syrup
1 c corn, either fresh from the cob or canned
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
salt & pepper
4-5 tortillas
1/2 radishes, julienned (to garnish)
romaine lettuce, chopped (to garnish)


Before beginning, be sure to press tofu for 20 minutes. Cube and set aside.


Heat 1 tbsp of EVOO in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, red pepper and snap peas. Season with salt and pepper and sautee for 3-4 minutes, or until onions just begin to soften. Remove from the skillet to a bowl and set aside.


Drizzle a bit more EVOO into the skillet. Add tofu to the skillet. Cook over medium low heat for a minute, chopping with the side of your stirring utensil until the tofu is broken down into small pieces. Add vinegar, cumin, chipotle, and agave. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes. Add corn and cook another 2 minutes.


Remove from heat, stir in onion, pepper and snap pea mixture. Add cilantro and stir to combine. 


Serve in tortillas, garnished with radishes and lettuce.

Roasted Radish and Sweet Potato Salad

Happy Memorial Day long weekend all! Hope everyone is enjoying the weather, time off and relaxation...with beer! 

Being that it's Memorial Day weekend and the sun is shining so beautifully, you might be under the impression it's about time to put away your dutch oven for the winter and let it collect dust until the air is crisp again.

You might think that your dutch oven actually needs to be swapped out for white pants. 

You're probably right, but I've never been one to follow rules like that anyway. Liberty, justice and the ability to wear white pants year round for all!

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Roasted Radish and Sweet Potato Salad


1 tbsp EVOO
2 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 cubes
1 1/2 - 2 c radishes, cleaned and halved
1/2 tsp ground coriander
salt & pepper
1/4 c white wine
3-4 handfuls baby spinach
1/2 tsp white balsamic vinegar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Heat the EVOO in a large dutch oven on a stove top over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sautee for 4-5 minutes, or until fragrant.


Add the potatoes, radishes, coriander and salt (about 1/4 tsp kosher) and pepper. Sauteed for 3-5 minutes. Add white wine, raise heat to medium-high and cook for 3-5 more minutes, stirring frequently, until reduced slightly.


Cover the dutch oven and place in the preheated oven. Cook for 10 minutes, remove from the oven. Stir and return to cook for another 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven, uncover and allow to cool slightly. Add fresh spinach and white balsamic vinegar. Toss to coat. Serve room temp or cold.

Banana Walnut Breakfast Bars

My most favorite part of weekends is waking up and laying in bed for a while. Then eventually making my way downstairs and cooking delicious brunch. I don't have any kids, my dog can sleep in until 12 PM.... and I've got a lot of free time.

But all this taking time in the morning to make a good meal is an afforded luxury that I am only privy too because... well... I don't have to go to work on the weekend. During the week, I usually scarf down bites from a bowl of cereal whenever I transition from blowing dry my hair to flat ironing it to putting on eyeliner to pouring my coffee. Cereal can be subbed out with yogurt or granola or maybe a muffin if I'm feeling a little crazy.

One thing that I like to keep around for those mornings when I oversleep and don't have time to dry my hair or put on eyeliner and therefore can't simultaneously eat cereal are breakfast bars.


I'm pretty big on Odwalla bars. They're super healthy (or so they tell me...) and I have a thing for the texture. These Banana Walnut Breakfast Bars are my best attempt at a homemade banana Odwalla bar. They're sugar free (I used agave not fake sugar) and full of oats and banana. Walnuts for protein and raisins for well... being delicious. 


Oh! And! Speaking of alternative breakfast foods. Try these breakfast cookies too. Don't worry they're healthy as can be; my mom would never let me anywhere near cookie crisp either.


Soundtrack: 


Banana Walnut Breakfast Bars
Adapted from Food.com
Makes ~9 breakfast sized bars


1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp cardamom
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c agave nectar

1 large egg

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c quick oats
3/4 c walnuts

3/4 c raisins

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.


In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, cardamom, and cinnamon. Set aside.


In a large bowl, beat the butter, agave and egg together until combined. The butter will not completely cream together with the agave nectar as it would with sugar, but it should be thoroughly mixed.


Add the bananas and vanilla and beat until smooth. 


Add the flour mixture and oats and stir with a spatula until just combined. The batter should be fairly thick and spreadable. If it's too runny add 1/4 c more oats and stir again until combined.


Grease a 9x13 in pan and spread the batter into the pan, smoothing over the top. Bake in preheated oven for ~20 minutes, or until golden brown on top.


Cool in pan and cut into 9 pieces.

Sauteed Chicken with Brown Butter and Sage

Because brown butter is so hawt right now.

I go through phases with blogging guys. Sometimes I can't wait to post a recipe. Sometimes I have too many and I just want to keep creating. 

I've been creating. 

I mean... I'm new here, so I forgot about the posting part.

link to what I'm really trying to say here

For now, brown butter. And let's talk sage for a minute. I love love  the smell of sage. Not burning sage (#hippies). But ya know, the kind I cook with. The kind I put in stuffing and.... um... yea about that... I don't use sage nearly enough. I'm sure alotta other people don't either. It's that one herb which I feel weird if I run out of it, but I can't for the life of me remember why I need it. It's an awkward herb. And god, I love when things are awkward.

So recently I've been trying to find some uses for it. This chicken dish is one of my favorites. The flavors all stand out really well (browned butter, sage, thyme) and the lemon juice marries everything together (with this squeeze, I thee wed... that would be one awkward ceremony). The buttery-ness of the sauce supports the sage flavor well. I wouldn't call it light, but I definitely wouldn't call it heavy. Serve with a vegetable dish or two.

Soundtrack: Speaking of #hippies... livephish.com. Do it. Summer requires it.

Sauteed Chicken with Brown Butter and Sage
adapted from Cooking Light

Serves 4

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, trimmed of fat and pounded 1/4 in. thick
salt and pepper
~1/2 cup ap flour
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp dried sage
1 tbsp minced onion
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp lemon juice

Lay chicken flat on a cutting board or plate. Lightly season on both sides with salt and pepper. Allow to sit for just a few minutes. Place flour in a bowl and drag chicken breasts through to coat.


Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and add chicken. Cook on both sides, for 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Remove chicken from the pan.


Turn the heat down to low. Add the butter to the pan and move around constantly until melted. Add the onion and sage. Turn the heat up a bit and cook until the butter begins to brown (this should happen quickly, since the pan is heated; essentially you are beginning to burn the butter). Once butter is browned, add the thyme and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from heat and add lemon juice.


Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat in the sauce. Serve warm.

Also, this whole thing was shot on my iPhone... because well... I let my camera battery die. Not too shabby. Go iPhone.

Tangy Roasted Sweet & Russet Potato Hash

Yummmmmmm!

I hope this weekend was great for everyone. Relaxing or really fun or a little of both. I hope there were good times with people you care about. I hope it was exactly what you needed. If you're "weekend" is during the week and yet to come... I'm jealous.


I went to a goat race that was held by Slyfox Brewery! Eek. (This was appropriate for me because welllll... I love goats. Goat cheese. Goats in trees. Goats scaling a dam wall. Bebe goats. All the goats. And I love beer.)

This is me petting a goat. It was way more interested in that plastic carriage.
Go figure.

Goats! Goats! Goats!

And now... sweet potato, russet potato, peppers, mango, zucchini. Basil. Cilantro & Lemon. Fetaaa!

Soundtrack: I've really been digging the new Gotye album lately. Check it out. Rulez.


Tangy Roasted Sweet & Russet Potato Hash
Serves 3-4 as a side


1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1 medium baking potato, cut into 1" pieces
1 c. diced sweet peppers (red bell or small sweet)
1 medium poblano, diced
1 large mango, cubed
1 medium zucchini, cubed
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
handful of fresh basil, chopped
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 c feta cheese crumbles


Preheat oven to 350.


Bring a medium pot of water to a rolling boil. Add some salt and boil the cubed potatoes for ~5 minutes, or until softened. Drain into a colander and set aside. 


In a large bowl, toss together the sweet peppers, poblanos, mango, zucchini, and onion. Add the potatoes and stir to combine. Season with salt, oil, cumin, basil, cilantro & fresh lemon juice. Add feta and stir until thoroughly coated.


Grease a 13x9 pan. Spread out hash mixture on the greased pan into an even layer. Roast for ~30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Serve hot.