More Simple Meals

Meals without recipes. That's how I normally cook - just throw stuff together that tastes good on it's own and hope it tastes good together with spices.

Buckwheat Noodle Soup:
With veggie broth base, leeks, onions, garlic, miso, chickpeas, buckwheat noodles and diced tomatoes.
Diced tomatoes are one of my new favorite things to add to soups. Drain the juice from a can and throw it in. I use to put the juice in there before but it always made it too tomato-y so just putting the fruit in there helps the other flavors sand out on their own.


Saturday Market Dinner:
Roasted fiddleheads, steamed asparagus, garden salad with purple cabbage.
Fiddleheads - I knew bringing these home was going to raise some eyebrows. I was cruious as well. They look a little too much like bugs to me. I saw them once on one of my blogs I read, so I picked them up. They are very expensive. One small handful for $1.50. I really wasn't excited about the taste. They weren't bad, what roasted with garlic can be bad?! but they just weren't $1.50/handful good. Interesting look though.



Cheesy Cauliflower and Greens with Almond Pate:
We eat a lot of vegetables, can you tell? Steamed cauliflower with that special cheesy sauce I have been trying to perfect. When I perfect it I'll share the recipe.
Steamed greens with a fun almond pate. I soaked almonds for awhile, added sun dried tomatoes, paprika, chili powder, lemon juice, miso, salt and garlic powder. Mixing this into the greens reminded me of a savory cottage cheese. It was very good.

Savory Vegetables Abound!

My food from this last week all has the same theme but I can't quite figure out the theme.
Here's some random food from this past week:

Cashews Green Beans and Sprouts:
This really wasn't as good as I wanted it to be.
Pan fried brussel sprouts, green beans and cashews with a soy sauce flavoring. As I was pouring the soy sauce in I was even thinking how soy sauce and sprouts just don't seem to go together. And they don't. Don't try this one. Brussel Sprouts and Tofu:
So what does go with brussel sprouts? garlic and lots of it!
Broiled tofu, brussel sprouts, garlic, olive oil and salt! Perfect!Aspargus and a Secret Sauce:
Now I know I don't post many of the Post Punk Kitchen test recipes but I couldn't get enough of this creamy garlic sauce. I salavate just thinking of it.
Have you noticed my theme of keeping the vegetables fairly simple?
Tofu and Green Beans:
This one is a bit fancier so I'll give you some rough directions after the photo.
1. Set the oven broiler to high. Slice tofu slab into 6 pieces and cut into triangle pieces. (Triangles just taste better.) Put a little of soy sauce on each piece before putting it in the oven for 10 minutes.
2. Steam the green beans.
3. Turn the tofu over and put a little bit of tomato sauce on each one, just enough to cover the tops. Broil again for another 10 minutes or until done.
4.Arange tofu on a plate, I used 4 slices. smother with some extra maranara/tomoato sauce. Layer the green beans on top and then coat with your favorite garlic sauce. Serve warm.
If I was to make this again I would maranade the tofu before.


Fried Green Beans and Rice:
Ths was wonderful! Healthy and not to healthy at the same time. Again you see that mysterious creamy garlic sauce! I told you I couldn't get enough of it!

For the breading I roughly followed the directions in The Dirty South Cookbook. I used about 1/3 cup flour and another 1/3 cup glutten flour (I thought it was another flour. I need to label my bulk foods better!) onion powder, lots of soy sauce and enough soy milk to make it a good consitancy. I threw all the green beans in the batter and coated them until frying time.
At first I thought the batter was going to be too soy saucy but it was just enough flavor to be perfect with a bite of rice and green beans.

I'll show you some chocolate pie later, but for now I must finish painting the house. (I keep being asked how I have so much enegry and I guess it's becuase I eat so many dark green veggies!)