Best Veggie Inspired Pho Ever!
As promised, here is my follow-up recipe that is in the picture below with the Sesame Noodles. Also, I’d like to mention that I am desperately trying to get all of my ancient photos into my recipes so that I can solely move forward with proper food photography. If you’ve read my “About Me” you’d know that in order to get this blog up and running I needed to use crappy iPhone and other crappy photos from well before I’d ever owned an amazing camera and had thoughts of food blogging or food photography. Bear with me! Soon enough I’ll be able to only post my newest and ‘best-est’ photos for you. Until then, you’re stuck with this.
Onwards, this dish was served in addition to my Sesame Soba Soy Scallion Noodles for hubbies bday. I had absolutely no idea how this was going to turn out but thankfully, it was amazing! Full of flavor, pretty, and instantly popular. After a few bday beers let’s just say we were indeed slurping it up, however, not slurping gracefully. It reminded me of my teenage years when my mother told me to never order pasta on a date. Not because one should never do that, but because I, specifically, should never do that. Thanks for the advice, mom! I think you just may have been right. With that in mind, slurp sloppily and enjoy!
- 8 oz rice noodles - cooked
- 1/2 C shitake mushrooms - loosely diced
- 1 small head of broccoli - loosely chopped
- 1/4 edamame beans - (optional)
- Large handful of cilantro
- Large handful of basil - chopped very loosely
- 1/4 C soy sauce or Braggs Amino Acids
- 4 C vegetable broth
- 1 onion - diced
- 2 Tbl sesame oil
- 2 red chilis - seeded
- 2 pieces or 1/4 inch piece of ginger - chopped
- 1 lime - juiced
- 3-4 cloves of garlic - minced
- 3 stalks lemongrass - diced
- 4 scallions - diced
- 1/2 C bean sprouts
- 1 Tbl peppercorns
- 1 Tbl toasted black sesame seeds
- Add 3-4 cups water, vegetable broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, onion, chilis, ginger, garlic, lime juice, lemon grass, peppercorns into a pot. Bring to boil for 15 minutes and then simmer for 15-20 minutes more.
- Stain the broth when done to remove everything but the actual broth itself.
- Add noodles, broccoli, mushrooms, bean sprouts, basil, and edamame. Stir.
- Separate into individual bowls and smother in cilantro, scallions, and sesame seeds.
- Done!
- Serves 2 large bowls or 4 average sized bowls.
Sesame Soba Soy Scallion Noodles
Try saying that one five times in a row! Unlike the challenging title, this dish is so easy to make and absolutely scrumptious! It was amazing how long I had been living in China before I started to get my feet wet with basic Chinese or other Asian dishes. I had been tooling around with udon noodles and this incredible and common chili sauce here but that was about it. This noodle dish is refreshing, simple, and most likely something a bit different than your day-to-day noodle nom-noms. Usually, noodle for me equals Italian food. However, both this dish and the recipe that will be posted afterwards are indeed Asian inspired. I made them both last year when I decided to spoil the crap out of my husband for his entire birthday weekend. I literally cooked him crazy awesome and sometimes crazy involved meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner 3 days in a row. I know, I know, how insane or insanely nice of me, right? Well, selfishly, as this is my hobby, it was a fantastic opportunity for me to concoct some creations I’d had brewing in my brain for some time. I loved every second of it! Enjoy!
Sesame Soba Soy Scallion Noodles/Best Veggie Inspired Pho ever!
- Soba noodles (9 oz)
- 1-2 Tbl sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup mushrooms (I prefer Shitake) - halved
- 1 small cucumber - juilienned
- Lime wedges
- 2 cups scallions - diced
- 1-2 cloves garlic - minced
- Handful of cilantro - chopped
- 2 Tbl fresh ginger - minced
- 1 Tsp pickled chili with garlic sauce (optional)
- 3-4 Tbl sesame oil
- 1 1/2 - 2 tsp chili oil (optional but highly recommended)
- 2 Tbl honey or agave nectar
- 4-6 Tbl soy sauce or Braggs Amino Acids
- 2 Tbl rice wine vinegar
- Mix sesame & soy sauce in bowl
- Cook noodles
- Mix sauce, sesame seeds, cucumbers, mushrooms, and noodles in bowl - mix well
- Serve cold and garnish top with sesame seeds and a sprinkle of green onion. Put 1-2 lime wedges in each bowl to be squeezed on top.
- Add peanut sauce to make this a sesame/peanut noodle dish! Just remove the chili option.
- This serves between 2-4 people.
Pita & Parmesan Eggs w/ Tomato
This recipe was made completely randomly with the left overs in my fridge. I had pita and tomatoes from some Greek food I had made the day before, extra eggs, and I almost always have parmesan cheese. This plus a few herbs and voila! A simple, quick, and delicious breakfast was born. Honestly, this could easily be one of those breakfast for dinner dishes. Whatever the time of day, it’s a great & easy dish to add to your repertoire. Not to mention, if you’ve read the “About Me” portion of my blog you’ll know that this goes along with my food philosophy. Like the mind, food is a terrible thing to waste!
Pita & Parmesan Eggs w/ Tomato
Pita & Parmesan Eggs w/ Tomato
- 2 pitas (preferably flat bread pitas)
- 2 eggs
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 6 cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- Small handful fresh (or 1 Tbl dry) flat leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup (or just shy of) shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbl olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste (I use a fair amount of both)
- Put the olive oil, garlic, parsley, salt & pepper in a bowl and toss together
- Lightly toast the pitas
- Fry the eggs in the pan (I prefer over-medium)
- Put an egg over each pita and split the tomato bowl over each pita
- Sprinkle with loads of parmesan
- Optional: Garnish with additional parsley & salt and pepper. Cut into triangles.
- You can use any herbs that your heart desires!
Brie & Basil Pasta
Okay, this is an amazing dish! It’s amazing because it’s delicious, quick, and super easy. Up until I was about 8 years old, my mother predominately cooked Italian food. She had me at a young age, didn’t know anything about cooking, and followed my grandmother’s (dad’s side) homemade cookbook that was comprised of recipes on index cards from the typewriter. Well, my mother most definitely mastered pasta dishes, and today, is an absolutely incredible cook. Honestly, I don’t think she even makes much pasta anymore. She cooks a wide variety of healthy and delicious meals. I never could’ve became a vegetarian at eight years old if she didn’t keep me so well fed. What 8 eight year old in 1989 was eating quinoa? No one had even heard of that grain at that time. My friends used to come over and ask what weird food we had that day. Not weird bad, just weird different. I remember her taking me to the local health food store when I was 9. The woman was holding a workshop about vegetarianism after the store closed for the night (1990- awesome, right?). She taught us how to make vegetarian jello, delicious grain dishes, and why it can be such an incredibly healthy way of life. In hindsight, this was so cool!
This Brie and Basil pasta was a VERY popular dish in my household when I was young. The smell of it today still reminds me of my childhood. It’s a tasty flashback indeed. This dish couldn’t be easier. If you’re looking for a quick and delicious pasta you’ve found your recipe here. Mangia!
Brie & Basil Ingredients
- 1 lb linguine pasta
- 1/2 C quality extra virgin olive oil (sometimes I add a splash more)
- 7 very ripe tomatoes - diced (preferably off the vine)
- 1 C fresh basil - loosely chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic- minced
- 1 1/4 lb brie cheese - diced (peel off outer layer)
- Salt & ground pepper to taste
- Optional: Sprinkle each bowl with some freshly grated parmesan cheese & additional cracked pepper
- In a bowl, add oil, tomatoes, basil, garlic, brie, and salt & pepper - stir well
- Cook your linguine
- Optional: Let bowl marinate for about 30 minutes to and hour
- Pour bowl of ingredients on top of pasta and stir
- Optional: Add the parmesan & extra cracked pepper now if you'd like
- Garnish with fresh basil leaves
- A fair amount of freshly cracked pepper is key for me in this dish. Also, you can toss a very small amount of recycled pasta water into this dish if you'd like!
Bomb-Diggity California Veggie Burrito
- 2 large whole wheat wraps
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 1 avocado - sliced
- 1/2 cup pico de gallo
- 2 handfuls cilantro - loosely chopped
- 1 can vegetarian refried beans
- 1/2 red onion - diced
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup red & yellow bell peppers - diced
- 4 cups kale - chopped
- 1/4 cup purple cabbage - shredded
- 1 Tbl taco seasoning
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Any green hot sauce (salsa verde) of your desire to smother burrito in
- Oil for pan
- Oil and heat pan. Add red onions and cook for about 3-5 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds-1 minute.
- Add cabbage and cook for about 3 minutes.
- Add peppers and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add broccoli, kale, and taco seasoning. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Turn off heat and add a handful of cilantro. Stir.
- Divide the pan over your two large burritos, top with cheese, and then fold.
- Smother in pico de gallo, salsa verde, and half of an avocado on each burrito.
- Top with the rest of your cilantro.
- Pairs perfectly with a bomb-diggity margarita and sombrero!
Vegetarian Mexican Rice Bowl
- 2 cups cooked brown rice (Tip: When cooking I use a veggie stock cube, lime, & cilantro to season rice)
- 1/2 of a red onion - diced
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 1/2 Tbl spoon taco seasoning
- Oil for pan
- 1 can black beans (save liquid from can)
- Handful loosely chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 head of broccoli
- 3 ounces kale or chard - chopped
- 2 stalks green onion - diced
- 1 large tomato - diced
- 2 avocados - sliced
- 1 cup sharp cheddar - shredded
- 1 lime - cut into wedges
- In a large pan, heat oil and add onion. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook for almost a minute more.
- Add black beans (keep some of the liquid from can) and a bit of the taco seasoning and stir. Cook for about 3 minutes.
- Stir in rice (add rest of liquid from black bean can) and cilantro.
- Add broccoli, kale, and the rest of taco seasoning. Cook for about 5 minutes. Squeeze in any amount of lime juice you would like.
- Now put Greek yogurt in a bowl with about 1/2 Tbl of taco season and stir.
- Give the pan a good stir and turn off heat.
- Add green onions and tomatoes.
- Separate into 4 bowls
- Top with cheese, add half and avocado to each bowl, and top with the greek yogurt. I often add some extra green onion & cilantro for garnish as well.
The Most Bitchin’ Broccoli & Eggplant Veggie Burger Ever!
- 2 eggs
- 1 large potato, skin on - diced
- 2 C eggplant -diced
- 4 Tbl cooked lentils
- 1/3 C loosely packed fresh basil - chopped (save some for garnish)
- 1/4 C bread crumbs
- 1 C broccoli florets, no stems - diced
- 1 shallot - diced
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbl parmesan cheese (optional)
- Olive oil
- Grain and seeded buns
- 2 Tbl sesame paste OR tahini
- 1 1/2 Tbl lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbl freshly chopped cilantro
- 2 Tbl water
- 1/2 tsp chilis (I use jarred fermented Chinese chilis)
- 2 Tbl plain yogurt or plain greek yogurt
- 1/2 tsp dill
- Steam potatoes until soft
- Cook shallot for about 5 minutes
- Add lentils and stir for about 1 minutes
- Add garlic and stir for about 1 minute more
- Add eggplant and 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne and stir for 5 minutes
- Add broccoli, basil, and the rest of the seasoning, and stir for about 3-5 minutes
- If using parmesan, add now
- Remove from heat and place in bowl adding your potato, eggs and bread crumbs. Blend with immersion blender until smooth
- Let cool in fridge either briefly or overnight
- Form mixture into patties
- Brush patties with olive oil and heat in pan until each side is golden brown
- Mix all ingredients together and blend with immersion blender or small food processor
- Place the burger, open-faced, on the bottom bun
- Add sauce and garnish with basil
- To make these burgers really solid you can place them in the refrigerator for two hours or over night before cooking them.
- Feel free to plump these burgers up when serving with red leaf lettuce, onions, cucumbers or anything you'd like!
The Perfect Purple Potato Veggie Burger
- 4 medium purple potatoes - diced
- 1 1/2 C uncooked oats
- 1 red onion - diced
- 2 cloves garlic - diced
- Handful of cilantro
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 Tbl oregano
- 1 small carrot - diced
- 1 egg
- Olive oil to brush on burger patties
- 4 seeded and plump whole wheat or grain buns
- 4 lettuce leaves
- 4 small slices white cheddar (optional)
- 1 avocado - sliced
- 1 small tomato - sliced
- 6 Tbl greek yogurt OR Vegenaise
- 2 tsp taco seasoning
- Heat the pan on low with add onions. Cook for about 3-5 minutes
- Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds more
- Add purple potatoes, carrots, salt, cumin, and oregano. Cook until potatoes are soft. Throw in the cilantro at the end
- Remove from heat and put in bowl with egg. Use immersion blender until smooth
- Add oatmeal and mix it in with your hands
- Form into 4 patties (put in fridge for two hours if you would like them to be more firm - not necessary though).
- Brush burgers with olive oil and cook on each side in pan until lightly browned. Top with cheese at the end if using (optional) to slightly melt
- Take the yogurt or Vegenaise and mix with taco seasoning
- Place lettuce leaves on bottom of buns
- Place burger on lettuce
- Top with sauce, avocado, and tomato
Vegan & Vegetarian Huevos Rancheros
- Handful cilantro - lightly chopped
- 3 stalks green onion - diced
- 8 Tbl vegetarian refried beans
- 2 slices cheddar cheese (optional)
- 3 Tbl red & yellow roasted peppers - juilienned
- 1 1/2-2 C spinach
- 2 wedges of lime
- 2 eggs (for vegetarian version)
- 4 slices tofu (for vegan version)
- 1 small tomato - diced
- 2 whole wheat tortillas
- Hot sauce as desired (I use a green & a red hot sauce)
- 1 tsp: cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, garlic salt, salt OR taco seasoning
- Cook spinach in pan for about 1 minute with pinch of salt
- Add roasted peppers and cook for about 30 seconds more
- Smear refried beans on each tortilla and top with cheese (optional) & pinch with seasoning (don't use all of the seasoning)
- Cook eggs or tofu in a separate pan. Sprinkle each side with remaining seasoning
- In the meantime, heat an additional pan on low and put tortilla/s in pan.
- Add spinach & peppers and then place your egg or 2 slices of tofu on each tortilla and cook until tortilla gets crispy
- Garnish each tortilla with cilantro, hot sauce, and lime wedges (squeeze on top)
- Serve quickly while still warm!
- If you like more seasoning feel free to be liberal when sprinkling it on.
- When using eggs, I like to fry it over-medium.
Classic Baked Creamy Macaroni & Cheese
Creamy Mac n’ Cheese
- Approx 1 lb conchigliette pasta
- 1/4 C diced onion
- 2 Tbl butter
- 2 Tbl flour
- 1 1/2- 1 3/4 C milk
- 2 3/4 C shredded white sharp cheddar
- 2 3/4 C shredded smoked gouda (if you are not a fan of smoked gouda, 'sigh'- I forgive you, you may use regular gouda)
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (sometimes I use a Mexican blend to spice it up for a change)
- salt & pepper to taste
- Cook pasta.
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Heat the pan and add butter. Once melted stir in onion and cook for about 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in flour. Stir continuously until a paste is created. This should be quick.
- Add milk and stir continuously until smooth.
- Add cheese and stir continuously until no bumps and completely smooth.
- Add salt and pepper and turn off heat.
- Slowly add pasta into the the pan of cheese. Be sure you are fully covering the shells before you add more.
- Once all pasta has been added to the cheese pour into a rectangular glass bakeware.
- Top with breadcrumbs and put in the oven for 20-30 minutes.
- *I often put tinfoil on the the first half of the baking time and remove it for the rest.
- Enjoy your glutenous cheesy comfort!
- I think mac n' cheese deserves a decent amount of pepper for those who pinch small! I usually grind some on each plate afterwards as well.
- Wear spandex style pants before indulging. 😉
