Vegetarian Tofu Fried Rice

Hello and welcome vegetable and tofu fans! 

Today's recipe was a bit of improv cooking by me and my lovely Mew Sigma Sister and future Clifton Hall apartment-mate, Emmy <3 

The Recipe: 

• Rice
• Rice vinegar
• Tofu
• Broccoli
• Peas
• Carrots
• Red Onions
• Vegetable Oil

The Process:

1. Boil enough water to fill about half of a small pot. 
2. Cook about 1 cup jasmine rice in the pot. 
3. When the rice is about halfway done, add a couple tablespoons of rice vinegar. 
4. Saute all vegetables and tofu in a pan on medium heat. 
5. Add rice to the pan and continue to heat. 
6. Add teriyaki sauce to the pan and continue to heat and mix. 
7. After about 5 minutes from the time the rice was added to the pan, it should be done. Be sure everything is cooked to desired amounts. 
8. Share with a friend :) 

Calories:

Rice- 150 calories

Rice Vinegar- 0 calories

Broccoli- 14 calories

Peas- 67 calories

Carrots- 14 calories

Onion- 23 calories

Teriyaki- 20 calories

Vegetable Oil- 120 calories

Tofu- 160 calories

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TOTAL: 568 calories

This means Emmy and I each ate 284 calories for a very filling and healthy dinner! 

What went right: 

         It was quite delicious and light, but also satisfying. 

What went wrong: 

         I'm relatively certain actual fried rice also has garlic in the recipe and steams the peas and carrots. Something to work on for authenticity's sake! 

What I would do next time: 

          Try using different meats, garlic, and cook the vegetables differently. 

Would I do this again in college?: 

          Definitely. I'm a little addicted to asian food, and have tried this again a few times since and it turned out equally great and better :) 

Overall, a great meal with a short cook time, perfect for college life! 

Dinner for Four: Cheesy Rolls and Sauteed Vegetables on Penne

Hello avid reader!

Thanks for being here :) 

Today's meal was yet another event of Improv Cooking with my favorite lovely ladies of T3 :)     

 The First Recipe: Sauteed Vegetables on Penne (single serving)

• 1 oz pasta
• 1/4 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tbsp cheese
• 1/4 tbsp canola oil
• 1/4 cup mixed Mushrooms, Peas, Cucumber, Zucchini, and Spinach

The First Process: 

1. Boil enough water to fill 3/4 of a pot. 
2. Cook pasta as desired. 7-8 minutes should produce al dente pasta. 
3. In a small saucepot, combine and heat butter and cheese. Stir frequently. 
4. In a pan, heat the oil. 
5. Saute mixed vegetables in heated oil. 
6. Strain pasta and mix with cheese. 
7. Top with vegetables.

The Second Recipe: Cheesy Roll (single serving)

**Almost cheating, but we do what we can**

• 1 wheat roll
• 1 tsp cheese
• 1/4 tbsp butter

The Second Process: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176.7 degrees C).
2. Cut roll open, but not all the way through. 
3. Put half of the cheese and all of the butter inside. 
4. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. 
5. Bake for 5 minutes. 
6. Enjoy!

The Calories: 

Pasta: 100 calories

Cheese: 37 calories

Butter: 50 calories

Oil: 30 calories

Vegetables: 15 calories

Roll: 76 calories

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TOTAL: 308 calories

What went right: 

         For a very satisfying meal, I'd say we did a great job with everything. The pasta and vegetables and rolls were perfect and worked quite well together. 

What went wrong: 

         The cheese sauce was a bit less creamy than I would have preferred, but it still tasted wonderful. 

What I would do next time: 

         Use a different cheese. 

Overall, a great meal and a lot of fun in the kitchen with my amazing friends :)  

Sauteed Vegetables in Penne Rigatoni

Hey pasta lovers!

This dish was inspired by my want for sauteed vegetables and my mom's want for pasta...yay for collective efforts!

Since it was first made, I have also been able to make the dish in college, as it uses a single pan, and really any combination of preferred vegetables.

The Recipe: Sauteed Vegetables in Penne Rigatoni

• 3 carrots, sliced
• 1 cup green beans
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 box Penne Rigatoni pasta 
• 1/4 tbsp butter
• Salt
• Pepper
• Water

The Process: 

• Boil 1-2 inches of water in a covered, stove-top pot.
• Once the water is boiling, cook pasta for 7-9 minutes on medium to low heat, depending on your stove. 
• Heat a stove-top pan on high. 
• Once the pan is heated, allow the butter to melt on the pan, turning the pan to help the butter spread. 
• Turn the heat to medium. 
• Add carrots, salt, and pepper.
• Allow to cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute. 
• Add green beans, and mix the pan with a spatula by folding it over itself multiple times. 
• Allow to cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute. 
• Add mushrooms, and mix the pan with a spatula by folding it over itself multiple times. 
• Allow to cook for 5-7 minutes, checking and turning the mix periodically. 
• Once the pasta is finished cooking, strain it and allow it to cool slightly. 
• Once the vegetables are finished cooking, remove the top of the pan, and turn off the heat.
• Once the pasta is cooled, serve it into bowls (should be 2-4 servings). 
• Once the pasta is in bowls, top it with vegetables as desired. 
• If desired, sprinkle cheese on top of the vegetables (at most 1 tsp). 
• Enjoy!

The Calories: 

Pasta: 800 calories

Carrots: 50 calories

Green Beans: 77 calories

Mushrooms: 68 calories

Butter: 25 calories

Salt/Pepper: insignificant calories

Water: 0 calories

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TOTAL: 1020 calories

This sounds like a lot, but if split between two people, that's only 510 calories each for two portions. If split between three people, 340 calories. If split between four people, 255 calories. 

What went right: 

        The pasta was a nice al dente, the vegetables cooked well, and the combination of ingredients worked in happy harmony. 

What went wrong: 

         Personally, I think the dish is carb-heavy. It would be nice to balance the carbs by altering the vegetable ratio, but in this case it might need some meat to ensure it is still just as filling. 

What I would do next time: 

         It would be good to try the dish with other seasonal vegetables, like a squash and pasta medley, or try varying the pasta:vegetable ratio and adding meats like sausage or chicken. 

Would I make this in college: 

        Oddly enough, I already have! I didn't make the dish as it is, but I held a pasta party and made pasta with marinara sauce for my dorm building, and sauteed vegetables for those who were Gluten Free. It's a very simple, quick dish to make, and leftovers are easy to keep and reheat. 

Overall, a quick, easy, healthy meal. No complaints :) 

Vegetarian Stuffed Pasta Shells (2)

Hello and welcome Italian Food lover!

Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog :) Apologies for the lack of posts since I've started college. There's plenty of time to cook but not enough time to write about cooking!

Today's recipe was inspired by my love of Italian food, and the success of prior Stuffed Pasta Shells. 

The Recipe: Vegetarian Stuffed Pasta Shells (2)

• Jumbo Pasta Shells
• 1 bunch Spinach 
• 1 cup Pasta Sauce
• 1 cup Broccoli
• 1/2 cup Peas
• 1 cup Italian Mix Shredded Cheese
• 1 cup Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 sweet Red Pepper, sliced and diced
• 1-2 pieces Garlic, sliced and diced
• 5 stalks of Green Onion, chopped
• 1/4 tsp butter (one small slice) 
• Salt and Pepper as desired

The Process:

• Boil water on the stove in a pot that will be large enough to hold all 20 pasta shells comfortably. 
• Once there are bubbles in the water, carefully add the pasta, be sure to not let any break. 
• Cook the pasta for 5-6 minutes. It should be al dente.
• Remove and strain the pasta. Allow it to cool. 
• Chop the Spinach into smaller pieces. 
• Using a Magic Bullet or other powerful blender, puree the Spinach. You will have to do this in smaller bunches, adding slight amounts of water. 
• Use paper towels to drain the Spinach. 
• Heat a pan on the stove. 
• Melt Butter on the pan. 
• Add Salt and Pepper to the pan. 
• Lower the heat to medium-low (depending on your stove).
• Add Garlic and Green Pepper to the pan.
• Add Broccoli to the pan. 
• Add Red Pepper to the pan. 
• Add Mushrooms to the pan. 
• Add Peas to the pan. 
• Cover the pan and continue to rotate the ingredients with a spatula until all are cooked. This should take 5-7 minutes. 
• Mix the sauteed vegetables, Spinach, and Cheese in a large bowl. 
• Pre-Heat the oven to bake at 350 degrees F.
• Pour a small amount of Sauce in an oven-safe dish. 
• Put a small amount of stuffing in each shell, and place it in the dish with the Sauce. 
• Once you have filled all shells, if you have any stuffing left over, put it on top of the pasta. 
• Coat the pasta with the remainder of the Sauce. 
• Cover the dish with an oven-safe top, or aluminum foil.
• Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce begins to bubble. This time will depend on your oven, but the dish will also emit a powerful aroma, so you should be able to tell about when it is finished.
• Switch your oven to roast on High.
• Remove the aluminum foil or cover.
• Roast the oven safe dish on a rack close to the flame for 3-5 minutes.
• Carefully remove the dish from the oven.
• Allow to cool for 3-5 minutes before serving.
• Enjoy!

The Calories:

Pasta: 720 calories
Sauce: 190 calories
Spinach: 144 calories
Broccoli: 41 calories
Pepper: 31 calories
Mushrooms: 75 calories
Garlic: 5 calories
Green Onion: 15 calories
Peas: 59 calories
Cheese: 180 calories
Butter: 20 calories
Salt and Pepper: insignificant amounts
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TOTAL: 1480 calories for 20 shells

Keep in mind that this amount also yielded additional stuffing that did not necessarily need to be included in the dish; instead, it could be refrigerated or frozen for future use. Additionally, there will be some sauce left in the jar, bowl, and dish.

Also keep in mind that one person will not eat 20 shells. 1480 calories for 20 shells means 74 calories per shell.

What went right:
         The pasta shells were delicious and the stuffing came out very nicely. I kind of liked having some of the stuffing outside the shells.

What went wrong: 
         According to my dad, the stuffing does not have enough spice, but he eats Indian pickle, so I've learned to take comments like this with a grain of sugar. Additionally, the individual shells may have been overstuffed, or cooled too long, because they were reluctant to remain closed.

What would I do next time:
         Next time I would like to try adding meat, which will also mean cooking/marinating the meat separately. The meat would determine the remainder of the stuffing, so I may need to use Italian sausage in order to balance out the vegetables.

Would I make this in college?:
         I definitely have the capability to make this in college, but not the time at present. It might be something to try over fall break (hint hint wink wink nudge nudge).

The photo below is our family dinner the night I made this dish. The two plain pasta and sausage link plates belong to my little brother, and my "little brother", who are just about the pickiest eaters I've ever met. At least they make cooking easy!

Overall, I'm a little too addicted to stuffed pasta shells now, but I really don't see a problem with that considering how healthy they can be. Especially if gluten free pasta and low fat cheese were used. Definitely can't wait to make these again! 

Happy Eating!

Grilled Portobello Sandwich

Welcome veggie lovers! 

It probably won't surprise you to hear, that I'm not a fan of burgers. It's not that I have anything against them, they just don't taste right to me. The same goes for steak, pork chops, pork roast, ribs, and most seafood. Because of this, I eat a lot of bacon, salami, ham, and chicken, but if you're not into meat at all, a fantastic substitute is portobello mushrooms!

This recipe was a team effort by me and my dad, and uses three of my favorite ingredients of all time. 

The Recipe:Grilled Portobello Sandwich

(Amounts are per sandwich)

• 1 small bun
• 1/4 Avocado, sliced
• 3 slices of a Portobello mushroom (about 1/3 mushroom)
• 1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper, sliced
• Salt 
• Pepper
• 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• (Marinade for mushrooms) Lemon juice, Garlic Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil

The Process:

• Set your broiler to high
• Place the red pepper slices in a small pan
• Add olive oil, salt, and pepper
• Toss to coat red pepper in marinade
• Broil close to the flame for about 10 minutes, or until the edges blacken 
• Put mushroom marinade in a sealable bag,
• Add mushroom slices
• Toss for a few minutes
• Grill on a Weber grill or stovetop grill pan for about 10 minutes, 5 on each side. (may differ based on type of grill)
• Lay mushroom slices on one side of bun
• Lay avocado slices on other side of bun
• Lay red pepper on side of bun with mushrooms
• Close sandwich
• Pair with low-fat snack or other side dish, such as steamed corn. 
• Enjoy!

The Calories:

Bun: 113 calories (depends on your bun)

Mushrooms: 10 calories

Peppers: 13 calories

Avocado: 58 calories

Olive Oil: 40 calories (keeping in mind that some of this will end up as residue on the pan)

Salt and Pepper: insignificant amount

Marinade: 20 calories (most of this will still be in the bag when you're done)

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TOTAL: 254 calories

Pretty fantastic considering one hamburger alone (not including the bun or condiments) is 280 calories at a minimum! 

What went right:

        Everything. This is now on my list of favorite sandwiches!! 

What went wrong: 

       Nothing, delicious, filling, addictive taste. Loved it. 

What I would do next time: 

       There's always a way to improve, even when something is wonderful...I might add some shredded cheese, make the same recipe in the form of a panini, or add some roasted zucchini :)

Will I do this in college?: 

       Yes, for sure! Since I won't have a grill in college, it might be faster to just throw the pepper and mushrooms in the same pan and roast both, for faster cooking and faster cleanup. But I will definitely be making this in college. 

Overall, nothing bad to say about this sandwich, and I'm very excited to have it again!

What would you put in a vegetarian sandwich?