Peach Fried Rice

When you are looking for a new apartment, there are a lot of things to consider: the price, size, neighborhood, amenities, access to public transportation, etc.  But for me?  It's all about the kitchen. Obviously.

Is there a dishwasher?  What kind of storage are we talking about here?  Will I have space for fermenting kimchi?  Is the apartment close enough that I can walk to a farmers market or a food co-op?  And don't even get me started on access to natural light for photographing food.  That's a whole other post.

I'm pretty resourceful when it comes to space.  For the last two years I've been living in a 460 square-foot apartment with my partner and two cats.  That's a huge feat right there.  But we've definitely outgrown the space and now it's time to move on to something a bit bigger.  But I sure will miss my kitchen...

Peach fried rice is the perfect way to say goodbye.  Whether it's goodbye to a visiting relative, the end of peach season, or goodbye to your adorable little kitchen, I think this dish will leave a lasting impression.

I recommend making the rice ahead of time so it has a chance to cool in the fridge. (Cooling it first will give it the best texture in the fried rice.)  I also recommend soaking the rice in water for a few hours or overnight to help increase its digestibility and the ability of your body to absorb all of the nutrients from the rice.  If you're in a time crunch, you can skip this step or you can substitute a quick-cooking grain like quinoa.  This recipe is very adaptable so feel free to substitute any veggies of your choosing.

Peach Fried Rice
Serves 4

1 cup brown rice, soaked overnight
2 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 block organic extra-firm tofu, drained and diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 zucchini, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 peach, pitted and diced
2 tablespoons Bragg liquid aminos
1/4 cup fresh basil chiffonade
sea salt and pepper to taste

Soak rice in water for a few hours or overnight (this will help to increase its digestibility).  Drain.  Add rice to a medium pot with a tight-fitting lid.  Add 2 cups of water.  Cover and let simmer for about 30 minutes.  Check the rice.  If the rice is slightly chewy, remove the lid and cook until the rest of the water is evaporated. If the rice is still hard, replace lid and continue to cook for about 15 minutes, until rice is chewy. When rice is ready, remove from heat.  Allow to cool in the refrigerator until using.  

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a pan over medium heat.  Add the tofu and saute 5 - 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tofu is evenly browned.  

In a separate pan over medium heat, add the remaining tablespoon of oil.  Add onions, zucchini, and carrots and saute for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and saute 1 - 2 additional minutes, until fragrant.  Add the peach, cooled rice, and liquid aminos and saute for 5 - 10 minutes, until veggies are crisp-tender.  Add the fresh basil just before serving and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Teriyaki Tempeh & Veggies

I think it's time that we talked tempeh.  Have you tried tempeh before?  In case you haven't or in case you have no idea what I am talking about, let me clue you in.  Tempeh is cooked and fermented soy beans that have had a bacteria starter added to them and then were held at 86 degrees for 24 - 36 hours.  Tempeh is a very digestible form of soy and is full of protein - making it a perfect entree in a vegetarian or vegan meal.  Tempeh has a very unique taste and I have often heard it described as "nutty," "earthy," or similar to the flavor of mushrooms.

Tempeh is best when marinated in a sauce to give it some flavor, especially if you are trying tempeh for the first time.  You can also steam tempeh before cooking and this will help cut down on the bitterness.  Most health food stores will carry tempeh ranging from plain to flavored and some brands even have tempeh with a mix of grains.  Tempeh will have a white layer and often dark spots as well.  This is completely normal and is part of the culturing process.  Since tempeh is made with soy, I highly recommend choosing organic because it ensures the soybeans were not genetically-modified.  Tempeh will most often come as a solid block and then you will be able to slice, chop, or grate it depending on your recipe.

This recipe involves a homemade teriyaki sauce that is a bit sweet, spicy, and flavorful.  Typical teriyaki sauces use a lot of sugar, but I opted to sweeten this version with dates instead.  This sauce is perfect on tempeh, stir-fried with fresh veggies, or just served over brown rice.

Teriyaki Sauce
3 medjool dates + 1 cup water
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons Bragg liquid aminos
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder + 1/4 cup water

Blend dates and 1 cup water until liquified.  Add to a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the soy sauce, liquid aminos, ginger, and garlic.  Heat for about a minute.

Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch (or arrowroot) and 1/4 cup water together.  Add to the mixture in the pan and heat for two minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened.

Teriyaki Tempeh
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 package of plain tempeh

Slice temeph into 1/2-inch slices.

Heat coconut oil in pan over medium heat.  Add the tempeh slices to the pan.  Cook for 5 minutes, then flip tempeh.  Add about 3 tablespoons of the teriyaki sauce and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, until tempeh is browned.  Drizzle with additional sauce (if desired) before serving.

Teriyaki Veggies
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
3 carrots, sliced diagonally
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups snow peas
2 baby bok choy, chopped

Add the coconut oil to a pan over medium heat.  Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 5 minutes.  Add the broccoli, snow peas, and bok choy.  Add the remaining teriyaki sauce and saute for an additional 3 - 5 minutes, until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Raw Zucchini Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce

You can tell a lot about what's going on in my life by what's on my library queue.  I have this weird habit of getting fascinated by one particular subject and then reading everything I can about it until I get bored and find my next interest.  This year alone I've been through a gardening phase, a running phase, a preserving food phase, a cycling phase, a twitter phase (yes, there are books on it!), a vegan nutrition phase, and a writing phase. My newest phase?  Raw food.

With the weather warming up and longer days approaching, my body has been craving more cooling and fresh foods like salads, raw veggies, and raw soups.  The only problem with a lot of raw food recipes that I've seen is that they tend to be a tad labor-intensive and nut-based.  I really enjoy using nuts in recipes, but I wanted a recipe that was a bit on the lighter-side.

This week I set out to create an easy raw entree that is fresh, delicious, and can be prepared quickly.  I ended up with a hearty zucchini pasta dish covered with a light, creamy tomato sauce.  The best part?  This meal can be prepared in under 5 minutes!

We'll start by spiralizing some zucchini to make our zucchini noodles.  To do this, you will need a vegetable slicer that can cut food into spirals. (I use this one by World Cuisine.)  If you don't have a vegetable slicer then you can use a food processor to cut your zucchini into matchsticks for a "penne" pasta.

Then we blend our sauce.  Throw your tomatoes, tahini sauce, garlic, herbs, and salt into a blender.  In under 30 seconds your creamy, flavorful sauce is ready!

I love topping this pasta with fresh cherry tomatoes and extra fresh pepper.  This recipe serves 1, but it can easily be doubled or tripled as needed to serve more.  This pasta is perfect for lunch, a light dinner, or any time that you crave a fresh, delicious meal without having to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

Raw Zucchini Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce

Serves 1

2 medium zucchini

2 medium roma tomatoes

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon tahini

1.5 teaspoon dried basil

.5 teaspoon oregano

Freshly ground sea salt and pepper to taste

Process zucchini into spirals or matchsticks.  Set aside. 

Add tomatoes, garlic, tahini, basil, oregano, and salt to blender. Blend until smooth.

Top zucchini with sauce and serve. 

Kale and Spelt Berry Salad

If you did not spend your Friday evening making kimchi and rocking out to Cher... then you really missed out on a good time.  If you did not spend your Saturday morning spilling a green smoothie on yourself while doing the Minion Mambo and rocking out to the Despicable Me soundtrack... then you really missed out this weekend.  And if you did not spend your Sunday evening making a kale salad and writing an embarrassing post about yourself ... then what did you do this weekend? 

For me, Sunday evenings are lazy evenings.  I am just starting to come down from my weekend-high and am about to crash right into reality.  This reality usually hits about 5 pm when I realize that a) dinner time is quickly approaching and I have nothing that's easy to prepare b) I haven't made Monday's lunch and c) I don't feel like making dinner for tonight or lunch for tomorrow.  These things are usually enough to make me a tad cranky, at least for the moment.  Luckily kale usually steps in to save the day.

I consider Sunday dinners to be successful only if they fulfill a few key requirements.  They must be satisfying, easy, quick, and tasty as lunch leftovers.  I'm happy to say that this one always fits the bill.

I love the chewy texture of the spelt berries with the kale and bell pepper in this salad.  The fresh basil adds a lot of flavor and is a wonderful reminder that summer is on its way.  This dish is perfect to serve as a light dinner, but it also makes a great side salad for a picnic or potluck.  It could also be topped with some french lentils to make it an even heartier entree.

Kale and Spelt Berry Salad
Serves 2 - 4

1/2 cup spelt berries
1.5 cups water
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and shredded
juice from 1 lemon
1 bell pepper, chopped
small handful fresh basil leaves (about 12), chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Add spelt berries and water to a medium pot.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes.  If there is excess water, drain the berries and set aside to cool. 


Add kale to a large bowl with lemon juice.  Then "massage" kale by hand for several minutes (this will help to soften the kale and make it less tough in the salad).  Add the bell pepper, basil leaves, and cooked spelt berries.  


Mix the olive oil, sherry vinegar, garlic, and maple syrup together.  Drizzle over salad, toss, and serve.  

Whole Grain Quinoa & Lentil Wrap

Sometimes when I have a lot going on in my life I have a hard time sleeping.  I find myself staying up late and cleaning my kitchen pantry, scrubbing out cupboards, and organizing bulk goods into jars.  Even though I accomplish absolutely nothing related to what I am stressing about, nights like this somehow bring me back into balance.   I suppose spending some quality time to myself listening to Neil Diamond doesn't hurt.  Do you ever have nights like this?  Most likely... minus the Neil Diamond?

In one of my recent late-night cleaning episodes I stumbled upon a full jar of tricolor quinoa hiding in the back of my pantry.  It was definitely time to pull this out and put it to use!  The result?  A hearty whole-grain wrap with quinoa, lentils, and tahini sauce.  Perfect for lunch or a quick weekday dinner.


We start off by mixing tahini with lemon juice and minced garlic and spreading this yummy goodness on a whole grain tortilla.  (I used the Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted grain tortillas by Food For Life .)  Our tortilla is then topped with equal parts quinoa and lentils.  I added some cilantro for a little extra flavor and color.

Our wrap is then folded up and sliced down the middle just prior to serving.

Whole Grain Quinoa and Lentil Wraps

Serves 6

1 cup quinoa + 2 cups water

1 cup french lentils + 2 cups water

3/4 cup tahini

2 garlic cloves, minced

juice from 1 lemon

herbs if desired

Add quinoa and water to a medium pot.  Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and let cook until quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes. Let the quinoa cool for a few minutes.

Add lentils and water to a medium pot (separate from the quinoa).  Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and let cook until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain any excess water if necessary.  Let the lentils cool for a few minutes.

Mix tahini with garlic and lemon juice (by hand or in a blender).  Set aside.

Spread 2 Tablespoons of tahini mixture per tortilla. Divide cooked quinoa and lentils evenly among tortillas (about 1/2 cup of each).  Wrap and serve.

Note: If you are not serving this immediately, simply store the ingredients separately in the fridge to prepare later.  The quinoa and lentils can be easily reheated and then wrapped for a quick lunch or dinner.