Pineapple Broccoli and Tofu Stir fry

Pineapples have been on sale all week long. I think it's because Easter and I guess people need pineapples for Easter for some reason. Does Pineapple have anything to do with bunnies or Jesus? I think not. Pretty sure it has something to do with cake or ham or some shit, but I honestly don't care because I just like the fact that I can buy a few (like 3) pineapples without breaking the bank. (I think I am going to buy 3 more for the dehydrator) Plus it is always good to have a pineapple or 3 on the counter at home. You never know when you are going to need one. So lets give a shout out to the Easter bunny and  Jesus. Thanks for the cheap pineapples.  HA!

So now you are have those pineapples, you are going want to eat them. And maybe you don't want to eat them with cake or ham or some shit. You are going to want to eat it the best way...In a stir fry. 

This is by far one of my favorite stir fry combinations. Pineapple does amazing things when cooked a bit, especially with soy, broccoli, and tofu. This dish definitely let's pineapple reach it's full pineapple potential. It is so good that tI think I might even prefer my pineapple cooked along with savory stuff. It is just so right and seriously so freaking good. The mr even get excited for it and he is not the excitable kind of guy. Plus it's fast (especially if you have already cut up your pineapple) and easy because stir fry and that's what stir fries are. Fast and easy, just like..........(insert your favorite fast and easy person and then chuckle)

And don't try to use canned pineapple because no.  Just get the fresh one,even if it's not on sale. It's a must. 

The stuff. A pineapple (you are only going to need 1/3 of this, but you can never have too much fresh pineapple on hand), a big head of broccoli, a little cabbage, and some firm tofu.  Also need some soy, a few cloves of garlic, a little fresh ginger, a bit of oil, and pepper. 

Dice up the tofu into cubes and place on a clean dish towel to absorb some moisture. 

Grab the fresh pineapple. Cut it up the way you do, but the easiest way  for me is to cut in half the cut that half into fourths then cut the skin away. You are going to have a lot of extra pineapple so snack as you need too. I always eat like half of what I am cutting up and end up with pineapple gut. SO maybe watch yourself.  

Pour some soy into a cup and mince the garlic and ginger. 

Garlic, ginger, soy. Looking good.

Cut up about 2ish (or more if you want) pineapple into small mouth sized pieces. Break Broccoli head into small florets and shredded the cabbage. 

Tofu into a lightly oiled hot skillet with a splash of soy, cooked until a nice crisp brown on all sides.  Once it is cooked, remove from pan and set aside.

It's the broccolis turn. Add in the florets and a splash of water to start cooking down for a few minutes, it need the head start. 

Once the broccoli turns bright green and is slightly less raw, add in the pineapple and cook until the broccoli is slightly tender and the pineapple starts to caramalize which will take about 5-7 minutes. 

Add the tofu back in along with the shredded cabbage and dump the soy ginger garlic mixture all over.. Keep cooking and stirring around until everything is hot and the liquid has mostly been absorbed. 

That's some stir fry ladies and gentlemen. 

You might want some rice to accompany your stir fry so think about it and have it ready. Other then that, it's food to face time. 

Enjoy the best stir fry ever. 

Bye.

-C

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Pineapple Broccoli And Tofu Stir Fry 

serves 2

• 1/3 of a fresh pineapple (about 2 cups cubed)
• 1/2  block firm tofu
• a large head of broccoli (about 2 1/2-3 cups of florets)
• 1/4 head of red or green cabbage (about a cup shredded)
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons soy or tamari
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• pepper
• Cooked rice to serve with (Optional)

Cube tofu into 1 inch pieces and either place on a dry towel to absorb the moisture or place the tofu into the microwave and heat for 2 minutes. When you take it out of the microwave there will be a lot of liquid...pour it off and pat the tofu dry. 

Cube fresh pineapple into similar sized pieces and break broccoli into small florets. Shred cabbage. 

Mince garlic and add to a bowl or jar with the grated ginger and soy sauce. 

Place a large skillet on the stove an medium heat. Drizzle in a little olive oil. Once oil is hot, place the tofu in with a splash of soy, cooking until all sides are a nice dark browned. Remove the tofu from pan and add the in the broccoli. Add a splash of water and cook for 5 minutes. Then add in the pineapple and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the pineapple starts to caramelize and the broccoli os no longer raw.  Add the tofu back in along with the shredded cabbage and pour the soy garlic ginger mixture all over. Sprinkle with pepper to taste. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the liquid has cooked down. 

Serve with rice or quinoa and extra soy if needed.

Maple Mustard Roasted Cabbage with Almonds

There is something about purple cabbage that makes me feel like I need to share it. It sounds weird , especially because I eat about a head of cabbage a day, but that is green cabbage. I barely buy purple cabbage because it cost twice as much and I really like green , but at farm share when you get to pick what color you want, I alway pick the purple. ( Side note. I used to call it red cabbage but have since stopped because it is very clearly purple and calling red just doesn't make any sense) 

I also feel the need to do something a little more the chopping it up and eating it raw. So I make a little fancy. pretty, almond crunchy mustard type thing because that's what I was feeling and I figure the mr would like it too. Note that I ended up using half a green and half  the purple because color is nice and also I ended up eating the other half of the purple before I could share it. But I caught myself before eating it all to may face and was proud of myself for thinking of others.  

This dish is good, really really good. . It has roasted cabbage which is alway great, but slathered with maple mustard and crunchy almonds.. it's just freaking fantastic in all the ways. It also happens to be super easy to prepare and with minimal ingredients. It makes for a great side dish, a main dish, and is great for sharing during the holidays that are just around the corner. Or if you are like me, not sharing and eating all afternoon long. (I did save some for the m for dinner because I am so nice) 

The stuff. Cabbage, red or green or a bit of both, stone ground mustard, maple syrup, almonds and pepper.

Easy peasy. Cut the cabbages about an 3/4 inch thick and lay them on a baking sheet. Pop it into the oven once it's preheated.

While thats going on, mix some maple with the mustard and chop up the almonds.

After about 25 minutes, pull the cabbage out and flip them. Cover the top with maple mustard and sprinkle on the almonds. Stick the cabbage back into the oven and bake another 10-15 minutes, or until it's roasted to your taste preference (I like it really roasted) 

Just look how pretty it is. 

Serves from a baking sheet but would look so lovely on a nice plater, you know, if you want to be extra classy. 

This cabbage situation is all of it. 

Have a great weekend and hope the Thanksgiving planning goes smoothly. 

-C

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Maple Mustard Roasted Cabbage with Almonds 

Makes about 6-8 slabs

• 1 head of cabbage (red or green or half of both)
• 1/4 cup stone ground mustard
• 2 tablespoon maple syrup 
• 1/3 cup raw almonds 
• pepper to taste. 

Preheat oven to 425

Slice cabbage into thick slabs about 3/4 inch thick. Try to get them roughly the same thickness so they roast evenly.  Lay the cabbage on a baking sheet, not overlapping, and stick into the oven once it's preheated. Bake for 25 minutes or until the bottoms of the cabbage are crispy.

While cabbage is roasting, mix mustard and maple  together and roughly chop the almonds.  

After  the 25 minutes, grab the cabbage from the oven and flip each piece. Cover the tops with the maple mustard and sprinkle on chopped almonds. Place back into the oven for another 10-15 minutes  and roast until the cabbage is as crispy as you like it.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with good pepper, and serve. Extra maple muastd is welcomed to some. Any left over (but there won't be any) is great eaten cold before bed  or tossed onto a salad for lunch the next day. 

Lemon Pepper Tofu

I feel like tofu sometimes get a bad rap. I don't think that anyone in my family (or most of them) would willingly eat tofu even though they have no clue what it tastes like. They say they don't like it but that's bullshit because they have just never tried it.  They all just think that only crunchy hippies are allowed to eat it or if they do eat it, they will turn into a crunchy hippie. Either way, they are butt heads and are missing out.  I think one of the big reasons some people don't like it is that they think tofu is suppose to be a meat replacement. That is wrong. Tofu is tofu(which is soy) and is not trying to be meat.

In our house we eat tofu a couple times a week. Sometimes as a main meal or sometimes in soups or bread or pie, or where ever I feel like I want it, but mostly just a quick sear and into the belly it goes. There are so many ways to prepare and flavor it but honesty, more times then not, my go to is simple. Lemon, pepper, salt. It's quick, easy, super tasty, goes with everything and I always have the ingredients.

So to all those who think tofu is gross, I say, try it or if you have really tried it, try it again. And then if you still think it's gross, well ok then.  And to all those who like tofu, you will like this.  And you are cool.

The stuff. Extra firm tofu, a couple small lemons, salt, pepper, and some olive oil.

Fist off, cut up tofu. I like to cut in talk, then into fourths, thne into squares and those square into little triangles.  But you can cut it into strips or square... whatever you like, just make sure that each piece isn't more then 1/2 inch thick.

Once cut up, place the tofu onto a clean dry towel, cover with another towel, and press, trying to remove as much liquid as you can without tuning tofu into mush. I will usually let the tofu sit on out on the counter like this for a little while,

Once you are ready for cooking, preheat a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and optional, preheat the oven. Mix together the salt ans pepper then sprinkle both sides of the tofu with it.

Zest lemons and cut in half so they are ready to juice.

Place tofu pieces into hot skillet, single layer and squeeze some lemon all over. Sear the tofu until the bottoms are a nice deep brown.  Flip and repeat, adding more lemon juice.

Once the tofu is cooked both sides, sprinkle with the lemon zest. Now here is a personal preference. I like my tofu a bit more on the cooked side so I slide the skillet of tofu into the oven for 10 minutes or so. The mr like it just as it is. So either way. I say try it before the oven and stick it in if you think it needs to cook more.

And it's done.

Tofu with a side of broccoli. Not a bad dinner, not bad at all.

-C

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Lemon Pepper Tofu

serves 2-3

• 1 package extra firm tofu
• 2 small lemons
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or more to taste)
• 1 tablespoon crushed pepper
• olive oil

Remove tofu from package and cut in half. Cut each half into fourths then cut each forth into square then each square in half diagonally. Or cut tofu into whatever shape and thickness you like, just don't make the pieces to small or more then 1/2 inch thick. Once cut, place on to a clean dry towel and cover, pressing gently to remove as much excess water without squishing it.

*Preheat oven to 400 (Option. See below)

Mix together the salt and pepper then start to preheat an oven safe skillet on medium high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Zest the lemons and cut in half.. Once the skillet is hot, sprinkle the tofu, front and back, with the salt and pepper mixture. Place half the tofu(if you pan is not big enough, cook in 2 batches) into hot pan and squeeze the juice of a lemon (or half a lemon if doing batches) on top. Let tofu cook until the bottom is a nice deep brown. Flip all the pieces , add the juice of other lemon(or half a lemon if doing batches) and cook until the bottom is a deep brown. Once cooked, sprinkle the tofu with the zest of the lemon.

*Option. After I cook the tofu on the stove top, I usually stick the tofu, (in the skillet)  into a hot oven for 10-15 minutes to give it more of a hearty texture. The mr prefers the tofu much softer so I will skip this step for him.

Serve right away with some broccoli, rice, or whatever floats your boat.

Slow Cooked Caraway Cabbage and Onions

 Cabbage is probably the number one eaten food in my house. It is not uncommon for us to go through a very large head a day. And I get that it may seem odd to you, but it's true. We are cabbage people, so much so that we will probably turn into cabbage patch people. I can see it now.

One of the reasons that we eat so much cabbage is that it is so versatile.. Raw, steamed, roasted, the possibilities are a plenty, not to mention that cabbage is pretty dang cheap. And not to far around the corner it is St Patrick's day when cabbage is basically given out for free. During this time I stock up, buy 100 lbs and ferment, roast, and peel my way through all of it. Is it sick that I am kind of excited about that ? (there are worse things to be excited about)

This cabbage dish is one of those dishes that can be eaten on it's own, as a side, or as a condiment. Topped on a salad, stuffed into a sandwich, or shoveled into the mouth. You really can't go wrong eating it anyway.

The stuff. Cabbage, onions, caraway seeds, salt and pepper, and some apple cider vinegar. (I accidentally grabbed the oil)

Shred up the cabbage and onions. Thin is good, but some bigger pieces are good too.

Into a big pot sprinkled with caraway, salt and pepper. A splash of water helps to get things started. Stickon a low heat topped with a lid.  And just let it be for a while butgive it a stir ever 10-15 minutes or so.

About an hour it's all cooked down and sweet and tasty as can be. A splash of vinegar finishes it off.

This batch was destined for the mr's open faced cheese sandwich. I thought I made enough to pack some for lunch, but
I ended up just eating the left overs for a snack. I don't know why I didn't make more.  Next batch I'll make it a double.

Happy day to you.

-C

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Slow Cooked Caraway Cabbage and Onions

makes about 2 cups

• 1 small or 1/2 a large head of cabbage
• 2 yellow onions
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• olive oil for pot
• salt and pepper

Thinly shred the cabbage and thinly slice the onions. Dump the now shredded cabbage and onion into a large dutch oven or heavy bottom pot that has a tiny drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle with caraways seeds and about a teaspoon salt, a good splash or water then mix around. Place pot on a low heat and cover. Let cook down for about 45 minutes to an hour , stirringever 10 minutes or so, until the mixture has shrunk to about 1/3 it's original size and is soft and tender. When just about done, mix in a tablespoon of the vinegar . Taste and season with more vinegar, salt and pepper if you like.

Eat as is or is or on salads, sandwiches or wraps.

Lime Broccoli Cabbage and Black Bean Salad

A few weeks ago the mr and I were standing at the check out line at the grocery store when up behind us comes Shannon (sister of mine) which was really weird because I was just saying how I felt like I was going to see her there. (Sister ESP) Of course we just started talking and stopped paying attention. (handed over the bags and wallets to the mr) She was telling me about the party she was going to and the salad she was really excited to go home and make for that party. (like as excited I as I get when I talk about salad, but maybe she was more excited about the party, hard to tell)  The lady cashier rang us through while the mr was kind enough to bag and pay, then rang Shannon through, which the mr was also kind enough to bag and pay(using her card). We chatted a bit more, walked our separate ways and moseyed on home. When we got there, I started putting our groceries away and there it was, a bag of Shannon's groceries, the stuff for the salad she was going to make for her party. Oops. So the mr called her up and told her, was willing to drive all the way back to her house right then and there in the snow to bring it to her no problem, but she just laughed and said no. She would just make something else. All she wanted was for us to eat it, or better yet, make the salad she was going to make and then eat it.  And that is what I did, or at least I think I did. I used the cabbage, limes, and broccoli that she bought, some black beans I had,  chopped and tossed and ate. Not sure if it is exactly what she as describing, but it's good.

Thanks Shannon for the bag of groceries, sorry we stole it. I owe you a salad.

The stuff. Some red cabbage, a broccoli crown, black beans (rinsed ans drained) a lime, and salt.

Cabbage gets shredded and broccoli gets chopped into small little pieces.

Chopped veggies, beans, lime juice and salt go into a big bowl.

Tossed. Now it may look done, but what this salad really needs is time to let the lime juice do it's work. Let the salad sit for at least 30 minutes, but heck, if you make this a few hours, if not even a day ahead, well it's only going to taste that much better.

And after the wait, eat it.

This salad makes for a great light Lunch or a pre-dinner (the small meal you eat before dinner, that's a thing right?)

Enjoy your weekend.

-C

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Lime Broccoli Cabbage and Black Bean Salad

serves 4-6

• 2 cups cooked or 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• Half of a small head of red cabbage
• 1 large broccoli crown
• 1 or 2 juicy limes
• a good pinch of salt

Finely shred the cabbage and small chop the broccoli. (stem and all) Dump the veggies into a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Mix in the drained black beans and toss with the juice of the lime. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. This salad taste good just made but only gets better with time, like if you can make it a few hours, if not a day ahead, go for it. When you are ready to eat. well eat it.  Add more salt if needed, more lime juice if you want, maybe a pinch or two of pepper.