Changing Our Eating

Hey everybody, hope your day’s been going well. As you may or  may not have guessed based off some of our recent recipes, we’ve decided to switch to plant-based eating. My (Lisa) dad has an increasing amount of health problems and it scares mommy to think of us developing the same problems. We’ve told my dad we’re not consuming anymore animal products and he was not happy about that ! He loves his meat and cheese and so do we but we love our health even more ! So with what all we’ve heard about plant-based diets, we’re hoping to not go down the same route as my dad and maybe decrease some chronic aches and pains that we do have. We don’t hold out much hope of things getting much better for my dad because he’s very much set in his ways. His nose wrinkles up when he hears the two words “vegetarian” or “vegan”. We have tried to fix healthier things for him along with having fruit for him to snack on. We know that he gets himself things to eat outside the house and he barely touches the fruit. We’ve tried and now it’s up to him. We have tried to cook healthier but after seeing so much food go to waste, we went back to fixing him the foods he likes. Mommy and I have to look out for our own health and it’s up to my dad to make his own decisions concerning his health. We’re going to post everything we make whether it’s delicious or not to us for two reasons, 1.) something we don’t like could sound scrumptious to you and 2.), some people hear “plant-based food” and all they think of are salads. We want to prove there’s way more than just salads to eat should you choose to switch to plant-based eating yourself.

Take care everybody !

Tofeta (Tofu Feta)

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained and patted dry
  • 1/3 cup olive oil (we used Colavita extra-virgin olive oil)
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon salt (we used table salt)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

  1. Slice the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes* and put the cubes in a shallow container (we used a 2-cup container). Add the remaining ingredients to the container, tossing to combine and to make sure all of the tofu is coated in the marinade.
  2. Place the container in the fridge for 30 minutes, turning the tofu after 15 minutes. Once the 30 minutes has passed, the tofu is ready to be taken out of the marinade and used in recipes ! If you have leftovers, just put the tofu back in the marinade, covering it tightly and leaving it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

*We cut the tofu into 1/2-inch wide slabs before pressing and draining it. We then cut it into 1/2-inch cubes afterwards.

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This tofeta was scrumptious ! The lemon and oregano tastes so good together in this that we could easily just snack on the tofu, no recipes calling for feta necessary ! The texture surprisingly reminded us of room temp. Monterey Jack cheese. We needed a recipe to try this out with so we chose the Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Tacos (the recipe called for using feta or queso fresco). The tofeta tasted fantastic with it ! We hope you enjoy this as much as we did !

This recipe came from “vegan on the cheap”.

We weren’t paid in any form to promote Colavita or “vegan on the cheap”.

Take care everybody !

Cauliflower Tikka Masala

Hey everybody, sorry it’s been a little while since we posted anything, our laptop had to be sent in for repairs and we just got it back !

Ingredients

  • 1 medium head cauliflower (about 2 lb.), florets cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt, whole milk or low fat (not fat-free) (we used Fage’s 2%)
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil (we used Colavita’s extra-virgin olive oil)
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, olive oil, or ghee (we used a little more than 1 tablespoon of Colavita’s extra-virgin olive oil)
  • 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste (we used Hunt’s tomato paste)
  • 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. finely minced or grated fresh ginger (we grated our ginger on the small holes of a cheese grater)
  • 1 Tbsp. garam masala (we used McCormick’s)
  • 1 (28-oz.) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes (we used Hunt’s)
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream; more as needed (we didn’t use more than the 3/4 cup)
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
  • Pinch sumac (optional) (didn’t use it)
  • Basmati rice or naan, for serving (we used rice)

Directions

  1. Move your oven rack to the middle and preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Take a medium-sized bowl out and add to it the cauliflower, yogurt, olive oil, and 1/4 tsp. salt, tossing the cauliflower to coat. Spread the cauliflower out in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet (we lined our baking sheet with aluminum foil before putting the cauliflower on). Place the baking sheet in the oven, cooking the cauliflower for 22 to 25 minutes or until it’s tender and has browned in spots, flipping once during that time*.
  3. While the cauliflower is roasting, take a large skillet out and add the 1/2 tablespoon of oil to it, setting the skillet over medium heat. Once the oil’s hot, toss the onion in, stirring frequently for 5 to 7 minutes or until the onion’s softened and beginning to brown. Add the following ingredients in, stirring to combine: tomato paste, garlic, ginger, garam masala and 1/2 tsp. salt. Stir constantly for about a minute or until you can smell the garlic and the spices. Mix the diced tomatoes and their juices in, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, turning the heat down so it’s just at a simmer while you wait for the cauliflower to get done roasting.
  4. Add the cauliflower, heavy cream and half of the cilantro to the skillet, stirring to combine. Let the sauce cook for another minute or two, until the sauce starts to bubble. Take a taste, adding more salt if necessary. If you want to tone down the spices, add more cream to the sauce (we didn’t). Serve the cauliflower tikka masala, sprinkling on the remaining cilantro and the sumac (if you’re using sumac).

*It took us longer than 25 minutes to achieve the tenderness and browning. The cauliflower did stick to the foil so we’ll spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray next time.

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Mommy loved eating this ! I’m sure I would’ve as well based off how great it smelled but I’m a picky eater and passed on trying this. In her words: “Outstanding ! The warmth of the spices in the garam masala was so wonderful with the acidity of the tomatoes. I loved the hearty, meaty texture of the cauliflower and the silkiness given by the heavy cream. I’m sure the ginger and the cilantro that was cooked in the sauce had to help lend flavor but I couldn’t pick those flavors out. Now, when I had a bite with the fresh cilantro added on at the end, then I could taste it. The dish was great without the cilantro but it was even better with it. It added some freshness and a new layer of flavor.

This recipe came from Fine Cooking.

We weren’t paid in any form to promote Fage, Colavita, Hunt’s, McCormick, or Fine Cooking.

Take care everybody !

Miso-Gochujang Pulled Pork

Ingredients

  • 5-pound boneless pork butt, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
  • 3/4 cup gochujang, divided
  • 6 tablespoons white miso, divided
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, stem minced, leaves left whole, reserved separately
  • 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
  • 3 ounces fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 3 chunks
  • 2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil (we used vegetable oil)
  • 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
  • Hamburger buns, pickled jalapeños, Gingery Pickled Carrots, and Gochujang Sour Cream, to serve (recipes for the Gingery Pickled Carrots and the Gochujang Sour Cream below)

Directions

  1. Move the rack in your oven down to the lower-middle position before preheating the oven to 325 degrees. Place the pork, 1/2 cup of the gochujang, 2 tablespoons of the miso, cilantro stems, hoisin, ginger and 1 cup of water in a large Dutch oven, stirring to combine. Set the Dutch oven over medium-high heat, waiting for simmering to occur. Once simmering, put the lid on the Dutch oven and place it in the oven. Let the pork cook for 3 hours or until it pulls apart easily using two forks.
  2. While the meat cooks, take a 12-inch nonstick skillet out and pour the oil into it, setting the skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil’s hot and shimmering, add in the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt, turning the heat down to medium once they’re both in. Cook for 15 minutes or until the onions look golden, stirring now and then during that time (it took us longer than 15 minutes). Mix the miso into the onions, stirring constantly for 5 minutes or until the miso begins to brown. Take the miso onions out of the skillet and put them on a plate to cool down, covering them once they’re cool and putting them in the fridge until they’re ready for use later on.
  3. Once the pork is tender, remove it using a slotted spoon and put it in a large bowl (we used a large plate). Once the pork is cool enough for you to handle, shred it into bite-size pieces, throwing away any globs of fat. Going back to the Dutch oven, take the ginger chunks out of the liquid, throwing them away. Tilt the Dutch oven so all of the liquid pools to one side, skimming and throwing away as much of the fat on the surface as possible (we didn’t get rid of the fat). Put the Dutch oven over medium-high heat and let the liquid cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until a spatula (we used a spoon) run through the sauce leaves a trail behind (took us longer than 7 minutes).
  4. Whisk in the remaining 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of gochujang into the sauce until combined. Mix the pork and onions into the sauce, turning the heat down to medium afterwards. Stir the pork around constantly for 5 to 10 minutes or until all of the pork and onions are heated through. Take the Dutch oven off the heat and stir in the vinegar to combine. Taste the pulled pork and season to taste with pepper (we didn’t add any pepper). Place the meat on the buns, topping with the cilantro leaves, pickled carrrots, gochujang sour cream, and pickled jalapeños.

Gingery Pickled Carrots

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and shredded on the large holes of a box grater
  • 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into thin rounds

Directions

  1.  Whisk the vinegar, sugar and salt together in a large bowl before adding the carrots and ginger, stirring to coat the carrots and ginger in the vinegar mixture. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours (we made our pickled carrots the day before we made the pulled pork).

Gochujang Sour Cream

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 4 to 6 tablespoons gochujang, to taste (we used 4 tablespoons)

Directions

  1. Mix the 2 ingredients together in a small bowl until  combined (make sure to scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl). Put a lid on the bowl and place it in the fridge until ready for use.

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The components taste good separately but together are even better ! The pulled pork was tender, spicy and a little salty but the pickled carrots and jalapeños brought enough acidity to balance that spiciness out. You might think that this’d be too spicy between the jalapeños and the gochujang in both the pork and the the sour cream but the sour cream itself, the pickling and probably the bread as well allows you to get a spiciness that you’ll notice without overpowering the other flavors in this. The onions are so tender that you’ll barely notice them as you’re eating this ! This was a different (but tasty) take on pulled pork.

This recipe came from Milk Street.

We weren’t paid in any form to promote Milk Street.

Take care everybody !

Slow-Cooked Reuben Brats

Ingredients

  • 10 uncooked bratwurst links (we used Johnsonville Brats Original)
  • 3 bottles (12 oz. each) light beer or nonalcoholic beer (we used Michelob Ultra Pure Gold)
  • 1 large sweet onion, sliced (we thinly sliced the onion)
  • 1 can (14 oz.) sauerkraut, rinsed and well-drained
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup chili sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. ketchup
  • 1 Tbsp. finely chopped onion (we used a yellow onion)
  • 2 tsp. sweet pickle relish
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/8 tsp. pepper
  • 10 hoagie buns, split
  • 10 slices Swiss cheese

Directions

  1. In batches, brown your bratwurst in a large skillet (we browned 5 of the links at a time). Add the beer, sliced onion and sauerkraut to a 5-qt. slow cooker (we used a 6-qt. slow cooker), stirring to combine. Place the browned bratwurst in the slow cooker, putting the lid on and cooking for 7-9 hours on LOW or until the sausages are fully cooked (our bratwurst were fully cooked when we checked them at the 7 hour mark).
  2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Take a small mixing bowl out and add the following ingredients to it, stirring to combine: mayonnaise, chili sauce, ketchup, chopped onion, relish, garlic and pepper. Spread the mayonnaise mixture over the cut sides of the buns, adding the cheese on next followed by the bratwurst and the sauerkraut mixture (we used a slotted spoon to get the sauerkraut mixture without all the liquid). Place the buns on an ungreased baking sheet (we lined our baking sheet with aluminum foil before placing the buns on it). Stick the sheet in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese has melted (our cheese melted by the 8 minute mark).

*We poured a tablespoon of vegetable oil into a large cast-iron skillet, letting the oil get hot before adding in the bratwurst to get browned.

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This was a tasty bratwurst ! You definitely taste the Swiss cheese and the bratwurst but we didn’t taste the sauce and sauerkraut mixture much. The cheese is ooey gooey, the bratwurst is nice and juicy, it just made us want to keep coming back fr more ! If you’re looking for something to serve on a game day, this would be a great handheld dish to enjoy !

This recipe came from Taste Of Home.

We weren’t paid in any form to promote Johnsonville, Michelob or Taste Of Home.

Take care everybody !