Jazzed Up Ramen

Dreary autumn days call for soups and stews. And since ramen is no longer the food of starving college kids, I've decided to share my jazzed up version of ramen. 

This is definitely a childhood favorite of mine and reminds me of when I would stay home sick from school and make my own homemade chicken noodle soup using ramen packets as my noodles. 

I made this particular version spicy so it's not very kid-friendly but if you swap out the spicy ramen for chicken flavored- you've got a delicious meal for the kids. And the long noodles are fun for them to eat!! 

Plus it's a quick and easy meal for the days when you're at a loss of what to make and have little time- keep a few ramen packets around and jazz them up for the kids! 

Jazzed Up Ramen 

Fridge:

1/3 lb firm tofu, cut into cubes (about 1 1/2 cups) 

1/2 cup mushrooms (your choice), sliced

1/2 cup scallions, sliced thin 

2 tbs cilantro, minced 

1/2 tbs ketchup 

1 egg 

Counter:

6 cups water

Juice 1/2 lime 

Pantry:

1 chicken flavored ramen packet 

1 spicy flavored ramen packet (see photo) 

2 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 1/2 tsp Wostershire sauce 

1 1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar 

Optional toppings: corn, mung beans, hard boiled eggs, lime slices, avocado, cilantro, grated carrots, cucumber slices, cooked mushrooms, etc. 

Tools:

Medium pot 

Whisk 

Wooden mixing spoon

Measuring cups/spoons 

Cutting board 

Chopping knife 

Add water to the pot and put over medium heat. Add mushrooms, scallions, cilantro, ketchup, soy sauce, sesame oil, Wostershire sauce, rice wine vinegar, the spicy and chicken flavor packets and lime juice to the pot. Bring the broth to a boil. 

Once broth is boiling, crack your egg straight into the middle and whisk rapidly for a minute. Add the tofu cubes and ramen noodles. Cook for 3 minutes until the noodles are al dente. Turn off heat and serve immeditately.

Use whatever toppings you want to add texture and flavor to the soup. I squeezed some fresh lime on top and added corn, mung beans, cooked mushrooms, extra tofu and a hard boiled egg. 

And let me tell you- it was delicious!! Super heart warming and a giant leap from the ramen we all knew and loved in college!! Try it out! Xo

Two Vegan Tacos, One Sauce

One of my goals lately has been to eat healthier. It's much easier said than done for me. I do love my pasta, cheeseburgers, fries, desserts, ice cream- pretty much everything on the non-healthy list. But I am trying- which for me means cutting back slightly but more so just having things in moderation. I am a firm believer that fad diets do not work (maybe short term but never long term) and that everything in life, except love, should be had in moderation!! 

After coming off a juice cleanse last week, I had to ease back into the heavier foods and I decided to do a little vegan cooking and eating. I made these two vegan tacos with a delicious corn and avocado sauce/salsa for both. I will say they turned out delicious and the fact that they are healthy is such a bonus!!

Tacos

Roasted Poblano, Mushroom and Tofu Taco

Fridge: 

2/3 lb or block of firm tofu, sliced in large squares 

1 tbs cilantro, minced

2 cups cremini (baby bella), sliced 

Counter:

Juice of 1/2 lime 

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 large yellow onion, sliced thin

Pantry:

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

Few cracks of black pepper 

1/4 tsp of dried oregano

1 tbs olive oil plus 1 tsp 

Toasted pistachios (optional) 

Corn or flour tortillas 

Tools:

Large bowl 

Plastic wrap

1 small non stick sauté pan

1 large sauté pan 

Mixing spoon

Spatula 

Cutting board 

Chopping knife

Measuring spoons 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and roast poblanos straight on the racks for 20-25 minutes until the skin begins to blister. Remove from the oven and place straight into a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to steam for 5-10 minutes and then remove the poblanos and easily peel off the skin of the pepper. Throw the skin away and remove the stem and interior seeds and do the same. Julienne the remaining poblano flesh and reserve for later use. 

I took my entire 1lb of firm tofu block and sliced it into three large even squares. I put one square back into the fridge for another day and used the other two squares (2/3 lb) for the tacos. Add 1 tsp olive oil, ground cumin, minced cilantro, 1 clove of minced garlic, juice of 1/2 a lime, 1/4 tsp of salt and a few cracks of pepper to the tofu squares and allow to marinate for 5-10 minutes. 

Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Once hot add the onion slices and sauté for a few minutes. Then add the remaining clove of minced garlic. Sauté for another minute or two and then add the mushrooms. Sauté for 3-5 minutes and then sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 tsp of salt and the dried oregano. Add the julienned roasted poblano and mix in with the mushrooms and onions. Turn off the heat but leave in the pan.

Heat the separate small nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Once hot add the tofu slices. Cook each side for 2 minutes each and then remove to your cutting board. Slice into cubes and add the tofu cubes to the mushroom and roasted poblano pan. Mix well together and serve the filling top of your tortillas. I like to add a sprinkle of toasted pistachios to the tacos for added crunch- but that's totally up to you! 

These tacos were delicious with our avocado and corn salsa/sauce. Loved them! Now try the next tacos! 

Roasted Brussels Sprout and Carrot Taco 

Fridge:

15 Brussels sprouts, bottom stem cut off and cut in half

1 1/2 cups baby carrots, sliced in half lengthwise 

2 tbs maple syrup

Pantry: 

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp balsamic glaze 

3 tbs olive oil 

Tools:

Baking tray

Aluminum foil 

Small mixing bowl

Whisk or fork

Preheat oven to 375 and cover baking tray with aluminum foil. 

Add the Brussels sprouts and carrots to the tray. 

In the small bowl add maple syrup, chili powder, balsamic glaze, salt and olive oil. Whisk well and pour over the Brussels sprouts and carrots. Mix the sauce and vegetables well. 

Put into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are softened but not soggy. Just Al dente.

Serve with tortillas, lime and fresh tomatoes. And of course my avocado and corn salsa below!! 

Salsa

Avocado and Corn Salsa 

Fridge: 

1 ear of corn, cooked and kernels removed 

1/2 a medium ripe avocado

1 1/2 tbs cilantro, minced 

Counter:

Juice of 1/2 lime

1 small garlic clove, minced 

2/3 cup water

Pantry:

1/2 tsp hot sauce (or 1 tsp Jalapeno minced)- optional 

1/2 tsp salt 

Tools:

Blender or food processor 

Add all the ingredients to the blender and process until smooth- but still slightly chunky. 

Enjoy with tacos above or chips! It's delicous and super healthy! 

Vegan Patacon Pisao

A girlfriend of mine recently asked me to post more vegan and vegetarian recipes on my blog and although I'm a super carnivore- I'm always happy to oblige my fans, I mean friends. 

I had been meaning to make patacones or fried plantains for a while now and I figured I'd take it one step further and make a vegan version of the Venezuelan street food, patacon pisao. Basically it's an open faced sandwich using fried plantains or patacones as the bread and usually it's filled with some sort of meat, beans, cheese, sauce or slaw on top. I used grilled tofu as my "meat" and topped it with a slaw, radishes, scallions and then refried beans for heartiness. I must say, that even meatless and cheeseless- this was one delicious meal. I almost ate two, but decided to not be greedy and gave my second one to my dad. He loved it! 

Vegan Patacon Pisao

Fridge:

1 package of extra firm tofu, sliced in half (see photo below) 

1/2 cup vegan mayo ( I used miso mayo)

3 scallions, chopped

1 bag of coleslaw mix (or 2 1/2 cups cabbage julienned and 1 cup of carrots julienned) 

5 small radishes, julienned 

3 tbs cilantro, minced 

Counter:

4 green plantains, peeled 

Juice of 1 lime 

2 garlic cloves, minced 

2 cups very warm water 

Optional: avocado for serving 

Pantry:

1/2 tsp siracha 

Salt pepper

1 can refried beans  

1 1/2 tsp olive oil 

1 tbs salt plus 1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp black pepper 

Tools:

Slim but tall pot for frying plantains 

Tongs or slotted spatula for frying 

Plate lined with paper towels

Measuring cups/spoons

Cutting board

Heavy wooden cutting board or something flat and heavy to press plantain

Chopping knife

Medium bowl 

Large bowl 

Heated grill or grill pan 

Take your cilantro, garlic and 1 1/2 tsp of olive oil and sprinkle it all over the tofu. Add 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of black pepper to the tofu and allow to marinate while you prepare the slaw salad. I marinated mine for an hour before I started but it's not necessary. 

In a large bowl mix together the vegan mayo, siracha and lime juice. Add 3/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of black pepper. Mix well and then add the coleslaw mix, radishes, and scallions. Mix well and put in the fridge until ready to use. 

Fill your frying pot with oil and place over medium to high heat. Allow to heat for 10 minutes. 

In the medium bowl add the warm water and 1 tablespoon of salt. Mix with a spoon to dissolve the salt. Set aside near the frying pot. 

Once the oil is hot (you can test using the end of a wooden spoon- place it in the middle of the pan and if bubbles come up around it- it's hot enough)- add the whole plantains- I fried only 2 at a time because that's all my pot could fit. 

Cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Then remove from the hot oil and place on the paper towel lined plate for a minute to cool. 

Once slightly cooled- place one plantain on a cutting board and take your a heavy wooden cutting board and press on top of the plantain to flatten. Use even pressure to get the same thickness. It should be about 1/4 inch thick or thinner if you prefer.

Take the flattened plantain and place in the bowl of warm salted water. Remove quickly and place back into the heated oil for a second fry. Fry for a minute on each side before removing to the paper towel lined plate again. Continue this process with all 4 plantains. 

While the plantains fry- heat your grill and add the marinated tofu. Grill each side for 3 minutes and then remove from the grill and chop into bite sized cubes. Be gentle with the tofu- even though it's extra firm- it can fall apart easily. 

To prepare the patacon pisao- take your twice fried patacon or plantain, spread refried beans across one side. Add the grilled cilantro garlic tofu, then the slaw on top and avocado if you're using it (I forgot to add mine, oops) and some extra cilantro if you wish. Enjoy this with a cold cerveza!! Pura vida!! Xo