Spicy Basil Stir-Fry

We got another load of basil in this week's CSA basket. Last week, we made a nice batch of Vegan Walnut Basil Pesto. This week, I wanted to do something different. One of Stephen's favorite Thai dishes is Spicy Basil with tofu.

Recreating this restaurant favorite was fun -- and perfect for what we had in the fridge. Don't be alarmed with all the ingredients you see listed. Many of them are just a dash of this and that required to make the sauce. If you don't have something, don't fret.

SPICY BASIL STIR-FRY WITH TOFU

What you'll need . . . for the stir-fry

• 1 cake of tofu, extra firm -- drained well
• 4 cups (loose) napa cabbage, sliced 
• 1 white onion, sliced 
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 
• 1 large yellow squash, sliced thickly 
• 1 cup red and green peppers, chopped 
• Scant tablespoon chili oil 
• Scant tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce 
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

. . . for the basil sauce

• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced 
• 2 to 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar 
• 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
2. When your tofu is well drained (here's how), cut into triangles or squares and then fry on all sides until golden. Set aside.
3. Place all veggies on a rimmed baking sheet and top with the oils, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes. Roast for 15 minutes. Then stir. Repeat twice, until golden and caramelized.
4. Heat a large, deep pan over medium-high heat on your stove-top. Heat all the basil sauce ingredients together -- EXCEPT the basil. Then toss in your veggies and tofu. Stir a few times, cooking maybe five minutes total.
5. Then turn off the heat and sprinkle in the basil. Let sit for a few minutes until basil wilts.
6. Serve immediately with brown rice.

Stephen always eats his stir-fries with chopsticks. Actually, he uses chopsticks for most any meal you can think of. I shovel mine in with a fork. (What do you do?) However you eat it, though. This is a dish you'll want to make over and over again.

A couple notes: If you don't have sesame oil, use another Asian-y flavored oil, like peanut, perhaps. If you don't have chili oil, use a teaspoon or so more red pepper flakes. No white vinegar? Apple cider vinegar will do the trick. Or maybe more lemon juice instead. And feel free to play around with which veggies you use.

Basically, this recipe isn't pretending to be authentic. At all. I tweaked it as we were making it to see what tasted most like what we've had out.


While we ate our dinner, Ada noshed on some pureed green beans and soft brown rice. She laughed as she ate it, too! PS: If you'd like to check out photos from our 4-day music festival camping adventure, I just posted 'em on Writing Chapter Three!

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FREEZE!

After we posted about our goal to freeze meals before Baby A is born, we got a lot of email/comment questions regarding our methods -- especially related to our use of glass containers. We're new to freezing, so our tips aren't our own, and -- at this point -- they aren't even well tested.

H.O.W.E.V.E.R. I bought a book a couple months ago called Put 'Em Up: A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook, from Drying and Freezing to Canning and Pickling. We've followed the guidelines they prescribe and also added some of our own along the way.

Here's the process:

We first gather our quart-sized glass jars (our favorite are wide-mouth, but we've used all of those already) and rinse them with super-hot water. Let air dry.


While the jars dry, we prepare whatever we want to fill the jars with. So far, we've made Pumpkin Chili, 15-Minute Applesauce, and Thai Jambalaya.


Then, we fill the jars. It isn't absolutely necessary, but we purchased one of those canning funnels to aid with transporting our food to the jars. It was less than two dollars, and I'd say well worth it. Far less mess to clean up afterward.


This part is important: We leave 2 to 3 inches of space for expansion from the top of the food to the top of the jar. The reason glass jars explode in the freezer is because, as with anytime a liquid freezes, the liquid WILL expand. If there isn't any place for it to go: BOOM.

Also important: We let everything cool to room temperature before putting on the lids. To speed up the process, I've placed the jars in the refrigerator for an hour or two with good success.


To be extra safe . . . we then take a square of plastic wrap and fold it into a smaller square (that's either double or quadrupled over) to serve as a temporary lid. We secure the plastic wrap with the medal jar top, but not too tightly. This way, if something expands like CRAZY, it'll have at least some room to escape.


We gather all the jars and head to our lovely basement where our new upright freezer is located.

Note: You don't need a fancy upright freezer to freeze foods. We bought one because we're participating in a frozen farm share program this winter and wanted more space for storage. The thing set us back around $300.


If you don't have a dedicated freezer or you have a chest freezer, simply stack your jars inside and let chill overnight. You can then replace the tops of the jars with the metal inserts the following day, once everything is solid.


If you do have a freezer, chances are it may have coiled shelves that are incredibly cold. We never set our to-be frozen jars on these coils. Instead, we stack 'em in the door shelves to avoid the bottom freezing much faster than the top. Again, it's one of our weird, made-up methods . . . but we feel safer doing it this way.

We wait a good 24 hours before returning to the jars to replace the temporary tops with the metal lids. And at that point, we move the jars to the coiled shelves.


Oh, and don't forget to use a Sharpie to write the date on the top of your food! Most frozen items last 6 full months. It's glorious. So far, we have 12 quarts of chili/jambalaya (which, for us, equals 12 meals) and 4 quarts of applesauce (so about 4 weeks' worth).


What should we freeze next?!

Veteran food-freezers: Are we missing anything? Any tips to add to this process? And do you have other methods you prefer over freezing in glass? We'd love to hear your thoughts. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Pad Thai for Two (Three?)

Hey. Stephen here again. I don't know if you can tell, but I've been helping out more lately. Around the house. On the blog. In the kitchen. Today I want to share with you a quick dinner we've developed a regular craving for. It's one that's simple enough for me to prepare easily by myself.

Easy on the wallet, too. Each serving (two huge ones) comes in at around $2.50.

What you'll need . . .

• 1 box of A Taste of Thai Pad Thai for 2 (no, this is not a sponsored post, we really just like this stuff and want to make you aware of it!)
• 1/2 block firm tofu
• Bunch of green onions
• 1-2 carrots
• Unsalted peanuts
• Fresh basil

I always start by frying the tofu. Our best method?

1. Cut the tofu block in half. Store half in the fridge in a plastic bag. Some people choose to store tofu in water. We never do that.
2. Drain the other half by first placing it onto a plate and sopping up a bit of moisture with a couple paper towels. Then, put another plate on top and something weighty on that (like a tea kettle with some water in it). Let press for a few minutes. Drain excess moisture.
3. Then cut into large or small cubes -- whatever you like best.
4. Use a large, flat pan over medium-high (you want it hot, but not burning) heat with a few tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil in it. Let the oil heat up. I always toss on a small piece of tofu to see when it's "ready" to cook. The tofu entering the pan should make the oil sizzle, but -- again -- not burn.
5. Once the oil is ready, put all the tofu into the pan. Cook until browned on one side, then flip each piece and try to get all sides browned. (Sometimes I'm lazy and just brown 2 sides.)
6. When done, put tofu atop a paper towel on a plate to soak up excess oil. Then set aside while you prepare the rest of the meal.

• The box instructs on how to cook the noodles, so I won't cover that. But you'll want your green onions chopped and your carrots sliced very thinly.
• After you've cooked the noodles, you can toss them into that pan you fried the tofu inside -- hopefully there's still some oil left in it. If not, add more.
• Add the green onions and carrots. Cook until everything is nicely heated -- veggies should still be a tad crisp, definitely not over-done and soft.
• You'll add the sauce that came with the meal, too. Cook so everything is heated.

At this point, you'll add the tofu to the meal. And after that, you'll divide into two generous servings and garnish with chopped peanuts and basil leaves.


It's that simple.

We used to live where there were at least five Thai restaurants within five or ten minutes of our apartment. Now, not so much. We miss it. But we're glad we tried this grocery store find (which -- happily -- is now lower in sodium AND gluten-free) because it's relatively authentic tasting and cheap.

(And if it saves me from driving over an hour to satisfy my wife's cravings for Thai food during pregnancy, you KNOW it's a keeper!)


Pssst: Be sure to check out Ashley's 31-Week belly shots today on (never home)maker, baby!

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Snow Day and 3-hour Naan

We got 18 inches of snow in 18 hours Sunday night through Monday morning. Crazy, I tell you! I had absolutely no idea a storm was forecasted -- especially one of such magnitude. The roads were closed Monday . . . so I didn't have to go in to work. It was fabulous.

Now, Stephen (an English teacher) is more than used to snow days.

He's had what seems like at least one day off per week all winter! Lucky guy . . .


OK. I know that isn't entirely true. But it was nice, for once, to enjoy some unexpected time of my own at home. Almost makes me wish I'd chosen teaching as my career.

Almost.


Time off from work means more time for baking. Despite efforts to clean up my eating a bit, I couldn't resist trying a new naan recipe, which I adapted from one I found on AllRecipes.com.

Quite honestly, it's just as good as naan I've had at Indian restaurants.

3-HOUR NAAN
(Pressed for time? Check out the 5-minute naan, too!)

What you'll need . . .

• 1-1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• Pinch of coarse Koher salt
• 2 heaping cups bread flour (about 2-1/4 cups in all)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons almond milk
• 1 egg, beaten

Method . . .

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the warm water and yeast. Let sit until frothy (about 10 minutes).
2. I the bowl of an electric mixer, hand-whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside.
3. Add the maple syrup, almond milk, and egg to the yeast mixture. Mix until well incorporated.
4. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry and use the dough hook to knead for 5 to 7 minutes. Dough should be elastic and smooth.
5. Cover the bowl with an oiled piece of plastic wrap for 2 hours.
6. Then divide dough into 6 to 8 pieces and let rise for another hour.
7. On your stovetop, spritz a pan with some canola oil and heat over high heat. Take each piece of dough and flatted with your fingers/thumbs/etc.
8. Then flip and cook until golden. Repeat with remaining pieces.
9. Use a pizza cutter to cut each piece into 4 triangles.
10. Brush with butter or Earth Balance, if desired.

This naan goes together famously well with the Thai-Style Vegetable Korma recipe from the other day. Or any other saucy dish that begs for some bread for dipping. We can't get enough!

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Vegetable Korma -- Thai Style

When we want a fast, delicious dinner in a flash, we look to Indian food. Though traditionally, I'm pretty sure most dishes are carefully simmered and fretted over for hours upon hours, you can still make something great in far less time. Like this dish, to which we gave some Thai flair without the fuss -- adding coconut milk and peanut butter.

No, kids. This isn't your mom's vegetable korma. (Excuse the dirty stove-top.)

THAI STYLE VEGETABLE KORMA

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup chopped cauliflower
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon shredded ginger
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 can (1-1/2 cups or so) coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter

Method . . .

1. In a large pan, heat the oil on medium-high heat until hot. Then toss in the garlic and onions. Cook for several minutes until softened/glassy.
2. Toss in the spices and bay leaves. Stir around until everything is well coated.
3. Add the cauliflower, green pepper, and chickpeas. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until softened.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter and coconut milk (we used that spicy peanut butter . . . but you can just use regular). Then add the mixture to the pan.
5. Cook for another 10 to 20 minutes. Then serve and enjoy with naan (new recipe to come!)!

Yeah, that's right. From chopping to eating, this takes around 30 minutes. That's why we love Indian food so much! Well, it's also insanely delicious.


So, it appears the comments section hasn't been working well since last night. Not only that, I just recently discovered that some of you have tricked the system and been able to comment using Blogger versus Disqus. The downside: I don't get to respond to your comments. I just know they're there. And they are much appreciated.

I can't believe to describe the level of frustration I feel! GRRRRRR! Please, dear readers, know you are loved. Your comments are so very, very, very much appreciated. And we'll be working on a better system ASAP.

Promise.

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Thai Sweet Potato Stew

Now it just sounds like I'm making excuses, but I didn't get a great shot of this dish because we had a ton of thunderstorms and black sky last night. That being said, believe me: You're going to love this stew. Sweet potatoes work so incredibly well in so many different recipes. But when you combine them with green curry paste, coconut milk, and pineapple . . . watch out.

Best yet -- the meal is great cold for lunch the next day!


Yes. Green curry.

We're used to the yellow and red kinds. But we picked up a can of the stuff in the international foods section of Wegmans. It's hard for me to describe the difference in taste. I prefer it over all others (including my old favorite: massaman). I guess it may be a bit spicier . . . and has different flavor notes. Maybe it's because green curry is the only type of Thai curry paste made with fresh Thai chilies. Whatever the reason, you must try it out . . . and soon!


(Veggies shown in photo above are for yet ANOTHER amazing recipe I'll share soon.) Also: I slightly modified this recipe from one that appears in one of my favorite cookbooks: Vegetarian Times Low-Fat and Fast Asian.

THAI SWEET POTATO STEW

What you'll need . . .

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 (heaping) tablespoon green curry paste
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch half-rounds
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup pineapple juice (or more, depending on your preference)
• 1 tablespoon dried cilantro

Method . . .

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the green curry paste and stir until fragrant -- 10 seconds.
2. Add the onion and stir-fry until they begin to soften -- about 3 minutes.
3. Add the sweet potato and stir-fry to coat -- about 15 seconds.
4. Then add in the broth and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Stir in the soy sauce, coconut flakes, and pineapple juice. Increase heat and cook for five minutes.
6. Turn off heat and stir in the cilantro. Serve immediately.

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Portabellas with Peanut Sauce

My favorite Thai restaurant is in Ithaca, NY -- Thai Cuisine. It boasts the "best Thai food in New York State, including New York City," according to Getaways For Gourmets. Every Sunday, there's this amazing dim sum brunch. Basically, the staff members carry around a couple trays of freshly prepared items. Then, they allow you to choose what you'd like to munch on, leave you alone for a short while, and return again with yet another selection of small dishes.

The process goes on for as long as you'd like it to. The best part is the price -- each plate costs less than $5 (and typically less than that!).

Of all selections, I most enjoy the portabellas with peanut sauce. And now that we don't live in Ithaca, I often crave the mushrooms like crazy. So, last night I set out to create a similar dish in our own kitchen. Though I didn't have coconut milk, the results are remarkably similar to the real deal.


PORTABELLAS WITH PEANUT SAUCE (for 4)

What you'll need . . .

• 4 large portabella mushrooms, scrub and remove stems
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter (I used Justin's with honey)
• 1 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sunflower or canola oil
• 1 tablespoon almond milk (or more, depending on your preferred taste)
• Sesame seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

Method . . .

1. Slice mushrooms into 1/4-ish inch slices.
2. In a large pan, spray with a bit of olive oil (or just lightly oil) and set over medium-high heat.
3. Lay out mushroom slices on the pan and reduce heat to medium. Cook and gently stir until both sides are lightly browned (mostly, the shrooms will get soft and juicy). Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, and oil. Then add the almond milk and whisk until smooth. Add the cayenne, ginger, and sesame seeds. Stir until well incorporated.
5. Lay out mushroom slices on a plate and drizzle/top with a generous helping of the peanut sauce. Garnish with basil for extra tastiness.

Truth time: We didn't eat ours displayed this beautifully. Nope. That's all for show. Instead, we dumped a ton of the sauce onto the mushrooms and dug in immediately.


We've been on a quest to recreate many of our beloved weekend meals at home (because we go out to eat far more than I'd like to admit). We're getting pretty good at it, too -- enough that we're starting to prefer our twist on the dishes to the real thing.

So, here's my question for you: Have you cooked up any of your restaurant favorites at home? Were you extremely satisfied or horribly unhappy with the results? Leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Easy Thai Mushroom Soup

Remember way back last week when we wrote about our lavish weekend dinner in? We made roasted pears with brie and a tasty cashew chili noodle stir-fry. But we needed something else, so we quickly whipped up this soup with ingredients from the other dishes and some stray mushrooms we had in the refrigerator. The key word is quickly, because this soup is as easy as chopping, plopping, heating, and stirring.

It's ready in no time at all!

It's vegan, too. So, that's always a plus. The coconut milk gives the soup a creamy texture and decadent flavor. And for those of you who don't like cilantro (sorry! lately that seems to be many of you!), this dish may not be your favorite. To make the broth aromatic, we used a pack of Thai spices, which included a hefty serving of cilantro, as well as lemongrass, Thai basil, and extra garlic.


What you'll need . . . (for two healthy bowlfuls)

• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 can (15 ounce) of light coconut milk (regular would work, too -- we're just watching the fat content)
• 1 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 small green chili pepper, minced (and de-seeded)
• 1 pack of Thai herbs (or just a handful of chopped cilantro, some lemongrass, and Thai basil)
• 1-1/4 cup chopped white mushrooms

Method . . .

1. Pour a bit of olive oil into a medium pot and heat over medium heat. Add in the mushrooms, as well as the minced garlic, chili pepper, and ginger. Stir for 1 minute.
2. Pour in the vegetable broth and coconut milk. Toss in the herbs. Stir.
3. Cover and turn the heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes, until the flavors have time to mingle.
4. Enjoy.

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