Cashew Asparagus

I'm terrible at blogs. Sorry. Here's a new recipe for anyone who's interested. This recipe came into existence mostly because I associate on-sale asparagus with the arrival of spring. It's also a very quick and healthy recipe.

I might be creatively inspired to update the blog more regularly soon- the first co-op pick-up of the season is scheduled for Thursday morning! I don't know that I will be able to make that market, but hopefully I will have lots of new vegetables to try and find uses for on a regular basis soon!


Cashew Asparagus

Ingredients:

1-2 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup cashews (or almonds or other type of nuts)
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
Cayenne pepper to taste
1 bunch asparagus
Soy sauce to taste

Apparatus:

Knife
Cutting board
Large frying pan (or wok if you’re lucky enough to have one)
Spatula

Process:

1) Prepare asparagus by cutting the woody ends off. Dispose of the ends and then cut the remaining asparagus in half.
2) Place oil, garlic powder, ginger, cayenne pepper, and cashews into pan. Saute over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes.
3) Add asparagus to the pan, and sauté just until asparagus becomes tender.
4) Serve over brown rice.

Northern Bean Summer "Dish"/ Showing off bounty from the farmers' stand

Northern Bean Summer “Dish”

So on the commute back from my internship (I travel to the beach every weekend), I passed several farmers’ stands and swerved in….. I came out with two baby white eggplants and a canary melon. I’m pretty sure regular eggplant would substitute in as well. The baby eggplant is a bit hidden in the picture, but ups the delicious factor several notches!

On a second note, I don’t know what to call this dish- it’s not a stew, or a stir-fry or…. Suggestions?

Ingredients:

1 cup dried great northern beans
Non-stick cooking spray
¼ cup diced onions
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sage
Black pepper to taste
2 baby white eggplants
1 medium zucchini, sliced into rounds
½ cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup spinach leaves
1 tsp lemon juice

Apparatus:

Bowl
Plate
Pot
Pan (w/cover)
Spatula


Process:
1)Place beans in a bowl and let sit overnight. The next night, place in pot, bring to a bowl for 5 minutes, and then drain and rinse.
2)While beans are boiling, slice eggplants into rounds, and place in a single layer on a plate on a paper towel. Microwave on high for 10 minutes.
3)Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place onions, eggplant, zucchini, garlic, sage, and pepper in. Saute for approximately 5 minutes.
4)Add tomatoes and beans to pan, cover and let cook for 5 more minutes.
5)Add spinach and lemon juice. Cover for just long enough for spinach to wilt, stir, and serve!


One of the other great things from the farmers' stand: A canary melon! I had never heard of such a fruit and wanted to give it a try. A bit crisper than a cantaloupe, and a little bit of tang to the sweet-very interesting all around.

Pineapple Tofu Stuffed Green Peppers

First, my apologies that I have been fairly sparse in posting as of late. Somewhere between a full-time job, an internship, and a hobby that I try to practice as much as possible I haven't been good about posting lately. I don't know if anyone noticed (I am up to 6 followers now!!!! :-D ), but if you did please note that you actually get two recipes today, and hopefully a few more coming in the next few days.

This recipe is actually very simple to make, so don't be daunted by the stuffing process.




Pineapple-Tofu Stuffed Green Peppers

Another tofu recipe….

Ingredients:

Non-stick cooking spray
1 container extra firm tofu
¼ cup diced onions
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp ground ginger
2 green bell peppers
¼ cup diced frozen pineapple

Apparatus:

Spatula
Knife
Pan
Casserole Dish

Process:

1)Spray pan with cooking spray.
2)Drain tofu and cut into cubes.
3)Place tofu, onions, garlic, and ginger in pan and sauté for about 8 minutes.
4)While the tofu mixture is sautéing, wash the green bell peppers and carefully cut out the stem and remove the seeds.
5)Spray the casserole dish with the cooking spray and place the bell peppers in the dish.
6)When the tofu mixture is done, mix the pineapple in, and then place the mixture inside the bell peppers.
7)Put the casserole dish in the oven and cook on 400 degrees F. Remove when bell peppers become soft (approximately 20-25 minutes) and enjoy!


*Notes* This meal is low-carb and incredibly high in vitamin C.