umommy: meatless

#MeatlessMonday

, by umommy

T- minus four days until Thanksgiving. Because we're hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, I'm looking for quick, easy and lighter dishes to get us through the week before we stuff ourselves with a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Plus lots of prep and cooking will be happening in our tiny kitchen, so the last thing I want to do is to cook even more!

I discovered this dish earlier this year in Joanne Chang's Flour, Too, one of my new favorite cookbooks this year. It features hearty, good-for-you seasonal veggies tossed in a delicious, kid-friendly asian dressing. The recipe calls for serving this with quinoa. We opt for Israeli couscous because my kids prefer it. Hey, they're eating Brussels sprouts and root veggies. That's winning in my book. Plus this makes a great side dish for your Thanksgiving meal.

Warm Couscous Salad with Roasted Autumn Vegetables and Ginger-Scallion Dressing
Adapted from Flour, Too by Joanne Chang

INGREDIENTS

8-10 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered lengthwise
1 large parsnip, peeled and chopped
2 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
2-3 baby turnips, peeled and diced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 cup Israeli couscous, cooked according to directions
8-9 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
3 tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame oil

DIRECTIONS

Preheat over to 400 degrees.
In a medium bowl, toss Brussels sprouts, parsnip, carrot, sweet potato, and turnips with olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer veggies to a baking sheet, arranging them in a single layer. Roast the vegetables, stirring every 5 minutes for 18-20 minutes until tender and cooked through. Remove from oven and set aside.
While veggies are roasting, make couscous according to package directions.
Add the roasted vegetables to the couscous and toss well. In a small bowl, whisk together the scallions, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, vegetable oil and sesame oil until combined. Pour dressing over the couscous and veggies and mix well. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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, by umommy

In dairy-free, meatless

The 18 Percent

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, by umommy

In DailyFeats, Gather Here

DailyFeats and Meatless Anyday Recipe

To-do: make a meatless meal once a week

Isn’t it so completely satisfying to be able to check off items on your to-do list? Or even better – your New Year’s Resolution list? If you’re Type-A like me and feel relieved and accomplished when you can cross something off a list, then do I have a website for you.

Enter DailyFeats – the free website and app that lets you track personal goals and rewards you for every time you complete a “Feat.” DailyFeats is designed to help you reach your goals, such as be more active or spend more time with your family, through small, positive steps (think “Take the stairs” or “Tuck in your kids”). Their approach is to break down personal challenges into little pieces every day to help you reach you goal and ultimately make you healthier and happier. And as an added nudge, you can sign up for reminders to help you accomplish feats every day.

The coolest thing about DailyFeats is that you earn points for rewards or donations. For example, you can earn four points for eating fruits and veggies to 20 points for learning a new skill. Rack up your points and earn discounts to your favorite retailers (Starbucks, Amazon). Or even cooler – do the things you do everyday and donate a $1 for every 50 points toward charities such as American Heart Association and Save the Children. It’s never been easier to find motivation to do something positive everyday.

I had the opportunity to meet some of the people from DailyFeats last week at Gather Here in Cambridge while completing some very cool feats and earning points at the same time.

So I’m giving DailyFeats a try to help me achieve my goal in raising adventurous eaters. And one of my feats is to do a Meatless Monday for my family. It may not be a unique or exciting goal, but for the family that has a Bacon shrine, it’s a good place to start. Here is a meatless dish that my meat-loving family can’t get enough of.

Vegetable Stir-Fry with Maifun and Tofu

INGREDIENTS

8 oz package maifun noodles (rice vermicelli noodles)
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 oz firm tofu, well drained, cut into ½ inch cubes (we prefer Tofettes Hot & Spicy)
1 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups broccoli florets
2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces on the diagonal
2 bunches of scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

Cook noodles as directed and set aside.
Combine the broth, soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, rice vinegar and sesame oil in a small bowl.
In a large non-stick skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and stir-fry for one-two minutes. Remove and set aside.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil and add ginger and garlic and stir fry for one minute. Add broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, and green onions; stir-fry until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.
Return tofu into skillet, stir broth mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring until hot. Add noodles, tossing to combine and cook until heated through.
Season with salt and pepper and serve warm topped with tofu and sesame seeds.

Disclosure: Thanks to DailyFeats and Gather Here for hosting the DailyFeats event, which I received free of charge. I have no material connection to the brands, products or services mentioned. As always, opinions are my own.