Herbes de Provence Tofu Scramble With Peas

**As Previously Published In The Daily Vanguard**

This breakfast is tasty, healthy, and tastes like something you'd spend 12 bucks for at a breakfast place. But don't go out and buy breakfast! Make this instead. Please forgive the photo, I didn't take a picture when I made this. But it guess it kind of fits..bright colors, morning...breakfast..recipe? You see, I totally knew what I was doing all along.
I do have good news though! I have a new camera coming in the mail, so soon my pictures will not suck! Something to look forward to! I might be the only one who cares about that..but yea, it's exciting. Anyway, this meal is fast so it could also double as a quick dinner or lunch when paired with a side salad.

Ingredients
1 shallot
1 large chunk of extra-firm tofu
1/2 cup of frozen peas
1 tablespoon of Herbes de Provence
1 pinch of sea salt
Olive oil

Method
Remove papery layer from shallot and mince like you would a garlic clove.


Slice off desired amount of tofu from its block, and squeeze both sides to ensure there isn’t any extra moisture. Crumble between your fingers into small pieces.


Coat a skillet with a thin layer of oil, about one tablespoon. Turn the heat to medium-high.

Add shallot, and move around with a spatula until it has softened a bit, around a minute.


Turn the heat to high, add peas and salt, stirring until warmed through and peas are no longer frozen.


Add tofu crumbles and Herbes de Provence and mix the ingredients together, allowing the flavors to mingle.


Taste for seasoning, add more salt or Herbes de Provence if desired.


Enjoy with a piece of whole wheat toast or an English muffin.

Popcorn- Four Ways

** As Previously Published In The Daily Vanguard**


Forget the greasy movie theater variety that stops getting tasty after the first layer. Stop turning to the microwave kinds that are adorned with strange orange substances on the inside of the bag. Now you have a new way to make popcorn.

This method is cheaper, faster and, most importantly, not filled with harmful chemicals. Below is a standard base recipe to start with. If you’re feeling creative, there are four possible toppings to match whatever you’re craving that night. There’s a sweet, a cheesy and a spicy addition you can add to your kernels. You’ll still use your microwave to make this delicious snack, but it’s possible you’ll never go back to the old way of making popcorn again.

The Base Popcorn Recipe
This is a standard recipe that is tasty on its own, and it takes less than five minutes to make.

What you need
1 Brown paper bag (sack-lunch style)
Popcorn kernels (which can be purchased in most bulk grocery sections, as well as by the bag in the popcorn aisle)
Microwave

Ingredients
1 small handful popcorn kernels
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt

Method
Place kernels in bag and fold down in three small panels. Microwave for one minute and 30 seconds, or whenever the time between popping sounds exceeds 10 seconds. Carefully open bag away from face (steam will be hot). Add olive oil and salt and shake, pour into bowl and enjoy.

Spicy Sriracha garlic popcorn
The zing of Sriracha adds some tangy kick to the popcorn, but feel free to use any of your favorite hot sauces here.

Ingredients
2 pats of unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
2–5 squirts of Sriricha or any other hot sauce, depending on preference

Method
Microwave all ingredients in a small bowl or ramekin. Top finished popcorn (omit olive oil from original recipe) with sauce mixture.

So sweet popcorn
This recipe is reminiscent of the kettle corn you can purchase in bags or at fairs. Warning: This one can be addicting.

Ingredients
4 pats of unsalted butter
3 tablespoons of fine sugar
1 pinch of salt

Method
Heat all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring slowly until butter is melted. Top base popcorn recipe with mixture, shaking to ensure even coverage.

Not-so-cheesy popcorn
While this topping doesn’t use any actual cheese, the nutritional yeast creates a similar texture.

Ingredients
1 small handful of nutritional yeast (which can be purchased in most grocery bulk sections)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pinches of salt

Method
Make base popcorn recipe. Top with olive oil, shake bag to ensure even coverage. Add nutritional yeast, shake again. Add salt, shake again.

Beet Kale Salad

This recipe is kind of an "everything but the sink" lunch, but the results were tasty and so, so filling. If you don't like beets, I'm sure you could sub purple potatoes or something equally tasty and starchy.

Ingredients
2 beets
2 tablespoons of freshly minced ginger or powdered ginger (which I used)
1/2 container of Whole Food's Kale&Sesame Seaweed Salad (from the prepared foods section)
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Method
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Since beets take forever to bake, it's good to start this recipe BEFORE you're hungry for lunch. Or you can always do a little cooking while eating;)
2) Wrap beets in foil, and place in oven. Let bake for 1 hour.
3)Remove beets from oven, drain juices, and let cool.
4) While beets cool, hard boil an egg (drop egg into boiling water and leave in for 10 minutes. Run cool water over when done). Slice the finished egg.
5) Mix the beets and hard boiled egg slices with the kale salad, add the rest of the ingredients. DO NOT salt, Whole Foods does enough of that with this salad.

Steak Fajitas

Steak Fajitas

*As published in The Daily Vanguard*

Steak fajitas are a delicious option that can accommodate the tastes any guest you might be sharing with. Serve this recipe in a “build your own” bar at house, laying out toppings and the following salsa recipe so each eater can design their own perfect fajita. For a vegetarian option, simply replace steak with a block of extra-firm tofu and decrease cooking time to three minutes per side.


Ingredients
1 lb flank steak
2 bell peppers, sliced into strips
1 onion, sliced into rings
Flour, corn or whole-wheat tortillas, taco sized
Canola oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin

Marinade
3 tablespoons brown sugar
5 dashes Worchester sauce
5 shakes of hot sauce, such as Tapatio
1 handful of cilantro, chopped finely
3 tablespoons canola or any oil
Juice from two limes

Possible toppings
Sour cream
Chopped cilantro
Hot sauce
Lime juice
Prepared guacamole
Grated cheddar cheese

Method


Put steak in a large Ziploc bag with ingredients for marinade, shaking to ensure coverage. Place in fridge for 30 minutes or overnight.

Put one tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet. Turn the heat to medium-high, and wait until oil has tiny wisps of smoke rising.

Add marinated steak to pan, and allow one side to cook for five to six minutes, lowering the heat if the pan begins to burn. Flip steak and cook for another four to five minutes. Remove to plate and cover with foil and let sit for five to 10 minutes.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and follow with peppers and onions, along with a shake of cumin and a shake of chili powder. Cook at medium-high heat until vegetables start to brown and soften, about six minutes.

Meanwhile, slice cooked steak against the grain into thin strips. Take tortillas and place on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for one minute.

Set up a fajita bar and allow your guests to enjoy!


Pico de gallo
Since the ingredients in this recipe are all chopped into small chunks, it makes sense that pico de gallo translates to “beak of the rooster.” But you don’t have to be a bird to enjoy this classic recipe for your fajitas, chips, eggs or anything else you enjoy salsa on. Use canned tomatoes during winter or fresh tomatoes in the summer when they’re in season.

Ingredients
2 cans of diced tomatoes drained of any excess juices (or in summer, four-cored and seeded tomatoes, diced, any variety)
1/2 onion, diced
Juice from three limes
1 clove of garlic, minced
5 tablespoons of chopped cilantro
1 jalapeño, chopped and seeded

Method


Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.


Taste and add salt and lime juice to your liking, perhaps add a teaspoon of sugar if the lime is too tart.

Cover the salsa with plastic wrap and let marinate in fridge for as long as time allows.

Spoon the salsa onto fajitas or whatever meal strikes your fancy.

Quiche For Breakfast, Lunch, Or Dinner (as printed in the Daily Vanguard)

Recipes that double for more than one meal time a day can really save a cook some time and money. Here, this recipe can be a free-for-all. Throw in whatever meats or vegetables you have hanging out in your fridge in half-cup amounts, just make sure the ingredient is cooked and all water is squeezed out. Or, if you’re more of an on-the-page kind of chef, just follow this recipe for a more classic take on the quiche.
It is an option, of course, to use a homemade piecrust here, but I’ve found that using the kind in your freezer section really cuts down on time. Both are delicious, and it really just comes down to personal preference.
The beauty of this meal is that it can be eaten cold the next day or heated up. It serves great as a quick breakfast, and also pairs nicely with a lightly dressed salad for a dinner or lunch.
Although it can be spendy, Gruyere cheese is really the star of this dish. If you can get your hands on it (it’s five dollars at Fred Meyers, not too bad!) the silky consistency will really wow you and your fellow diners.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
Pie dough for one 9-inch crust (Pillsbury or another brand from the supermarket)
1-1/2 cups grated cheeses (Gruyere, cheddar, swiss, or mozzarella in any proportion)
5 eggs
1 cup half and half (I used fat free)
1 teaspoon dried dill
2 tablespoons fresh parsley or basil
1 teaspoon Herbs De Provence (or any herb you have on hand)
Salt, pepper
½ cup of frozen broccoli, cooked
½ cup sliced ham, diced

Here are some other options for filling, add in 1/2 cup amounts:
bacon, cooked and diced
zucchini that has been sautéed
tomatoes chopped (no liquid-squeeze it out)
spinach Cooked (squeeze liquid out)
onion, sautéed
salami, diced

Some Tasty Combinations:
*Bacon, zucchini, and mint.
*Bell Pepper and spinach
*Salami and cheddar
*Tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella
*Fennel, shrimp, and

Method
1) Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2) Dice your vegetables, then sauté in small amount of oil at medium high heat, or steam for a minute or so.
3) Grate cheeses, combining different styles or using just one.
3) Beat eggs thoroughly with a fork and then fold in fresh and dried herbs.
4) Line quiche pan or pie pan with dough, place on baking sheet.
5) Place grated cheeses in bottom of pie shell.
6) Add broccoli and ham (or whichever fillings you have chosen to use)
7) Pour half and half slowly over mixture, ensuring that it isn’t filled too high.
8) Bake in the oven for forty to forty-five minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for five minutes before serving.
Lastly, remember that if you can double the recipe and make two quiches, you will save some more time and money. You’d be surprised just how fast these will go!

Soba Veggies, To Go (photo courtesy of www.sxo.hu

**as posted in the Daily Vanguard**


As the new season approaches, many people are faced with the dilemma of meals away from home. Some have classes or work during their usual lunchtime, others at night when they would normally enjoy cooked dinner at home.
Often, it’s easy to turn to eating at the many restaurants offered away from home. Whether it’s Pizzicato, Pita Pit or Chipotle, sometimes these choices are hard on the wallet and not always the most best for your waste line. Think, if you spend six dollars a day on food, that’s a wasted thirty dollars a week! Why not spend that money to fill or your fridge instead of emptying your wallet?
Packing a meal at home is an easy way to cut back on spending that financial aid money too quickly. It’s also a great way to stick to your new year’s resolutions for healthier eating. When you take the time to shop over the weekend, it’s easy to pull together a fast meal to go during the school or work week. Plus, produce is cheap!
This recipe is healthy, but that doesn’t mean it has to taste like it. It has whole grains, a plethora of great vegetables, and avocado for some good fat. The kidney beans add protein and fiber, so you’ll stay full throughout your class.
Be creative with this meal and add whatever you have in your own refrigerator. Grated ginger or a squeeze of any citrus fruit will lend nicely to the sauce. Soba noodles can be found in most Asian aisles of the grocery store, but really any whole grain noodles work here. An assortment of vegetables, (such as broccoli, carrots or mushrooms) or even fruit are all nice additions to the mix.
Lastly, the colors of this dish are vibrant and beautiful. As you look down at your deliciously economical meal, maybe you’ll forget how far off spring really is.

Ingredients

One big handful of Soba noodles or whole wheat spaghetti
¼ cup of purple cabbage, finely chopped.
½ bell pepper, chopped.
½ cucumber, chopped.
½ avocado, diced.
½ cup of canned kidney or black beans, drained and rinsed

For The Dressing:
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 generous splash of Sriracha or any hot sauce
Pepper

Serves one

Method
1) Prep your ingredients. Cut your bell pepper, cucumber, avocado, and drain your beans.
2) Put a small saucepan of salted water over high heat. When rapidly boiling, add Soba noodles.
3) Place all chopped veggies in a Tupperware container.
4) Combine oils, soy sauce and Sriracha in a cup or small bowl and whisk with a fork. Taste, and fix the sauce to your liking.
5) After about 6 minutes, or whenever Soba noodles are floating and tender, drain them in a strainer. (Whole Wheat Spaghetti will take longer, mostly likely 10 minutes).
6) Add cooked noodles to veggies, and top with sauce, stirring to ensure that everything is coated.
7) Secure the lid, pack in your bag, and catch the bus!

Daily Vanguard - Casting off the cookbook

Daily Vanguard - Casting off the cookbook

Here's a link to a story I wrote for The Vanguard, the newspaper I work for at Portland State. Something to think about! Please, feel free to post your opinions:)