Showing posts with label edamame. Show all posts
Showing posts with label edamame. Show all posts

Thirty Minute Thursdays: Sesame Noodles with Edamame

11:51 AM | Labels: , , ,


A lot of nutrition students seem to go through a militant phase where perfectionism collides with newfound knowledge in an epic, holier-than-thou way that can be a real turn off to the average Tom, Dick or Harry. I don’t say this in a way to distance myself from these RDs-to-Be – in fact, I think it’s been pretty apparent to those around me that I’m just now beginning to come out of that Food Nazi shell. I labeled foods as evil – trans fats and hydrogenated oils, high sodium sauces, those liquid sugar gel tube candies that are marketed as “goo” – and there was no way, no way at all, that I was going to consume anything that could possibly do my body harm. Except chocolate cake. And ice cream. And, on rare occasions, gummy worms because they’re my absolute favorite candy. Maybe I never was as militant as militant can be, but I was stubborn and particular nonetheless. I had become a picky eater.

Now, I haven’t thrown the towel in, as you might have guessed. I still check labels for hydrogenated oils and avoid pie crusts in restaurants unless I know for certain they’re made with all butter; I still cringe when I see more than 300mg sodium per serving of anything; and I still can’t get myself to consume a pouch of liquid sugar, dyed bright blue and green for effect. I’m sure I’m not as flexible with food as some people around me might like me to be, but I’m beginning to learn the true meaning of “moderation” and “balance” rather than the repeat-after-me mantras that you’re taught to preach in Nutrition 101.

One piece of evidence in support of this change in my approach to food is the bottle of hoisin sauce in my refrigerator. I’ve always enjoyed Chinese food, but never cooked it myself because I couldn’t justify dumping all of that sodium into one meal. Soy, teriyaki, hoisin – all of those sauces are laden with salt, and some even have somewhat alarming sugar levels to boot. But then I stopped and thought about it, and did a little bit of math. Yes, ½ cup of soy sauce in a recipe that feeds four people is a little too much for me still – admittedly acceptable to indulge in on rare occasions, but just not worth it to me – but adding ½ tablespoon or even a full tablespoon to my dinner would not send me into hypertensive shock.

This Thirty Minute Thursday meal would not have been possible had I not made this small concession, and then I’d really be missing out because this recipe for Sesame Noodles is really, really enjoyable. The sauce was a little heavy and I recommend adding edamame for some color and protein, but aside from those and a few other small changes (all reflected in the recipe below), I would call this a winner in the Floptimism kitchen. The red pepper flakes add a subtle kick, balanced out by the gentle sweetness from the hoisin and almond butter (the original uses tahini, but I say go with what you’ve got). It’s also very easy and laid-back to make, with the components flowing well and being very forgiving in terms of getting everything together on time.  You can absolutely make this for a weeknight – or, better yet, make it on the weekend and stick it in the fridge to portion out all week long. It’s meant to be eaten cold, so you really can’t go wrong!

One Year Ago: Black Bean Burgers
(But if you really want a good veggie burger, try these Killer Black Bean Burgers)

Sesame Noodles with Edamame, adapted from Rachael Ray’s Classic 30 Minute Meals
Yield: 4 servings
(printable recipe)

The Ingredients
¾ - 1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
3 tablespoons hoisin
1 ½ tablespoons almond butter
1 ½ tablespoons sesame oil
healthy pinch or two of cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 cups steamed edamame (no shells)
1 large carrot, grated
3 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle

The Method
Start water for the pasta to boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and run under cold water to chill the noodles; then, set aside.

Meanwhile, whisk together the hoisin, almond butter, sesame oil, cayenne, garlic, and ginger in a medium-large serving bowl until smooth. Add in the noodles and edamame and toss until even coated. Mix in the carrot and top with the scallions to serve.

P.S. Please don't judge me too severely for this photo. Not only am I now back to my dinky point-and-shoot (I was using my dad's beautiful DSLR while home for the summer - must start saving for one of my own!), but I was several bites into the meal before I realized I hadn't gotten a picture yet. Needless to say, not my best effort. It tasted fantastic, though, so don't let that be a deterrent! 


 

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Posted by toni

Egyptian Edamame Stew: Learning to Sweat the Good Stuff

2:48 PM | Labels: , , ,



Just 5 minutes ago, I relented and agreed to put my window ac unit into my room for the night. It seems incongruous that I’m now sitting down to tell you about a delicious stew – something much more typical of a cooler month. For the most part, I do tend to gravitate towards lighter, tapas-style meals in the summer and heartier, piping-hot one-dish meals in the winter; however, every once in a while, to put it bluntly, sweating it out over a hot bowl of food can actually be refreshing, cathartic even.

It helps that the stew I want to tell you about isn’t a heavy beef stew, weighed down by lots of braised meat or otherwise heavy ingredients. It’s an Egyptian Edamame Stew, making it slightly lighter by nature and infinitely more appealing to even the staunchest seasonal food traditionalists during these hot months. I ate it on its own, which left me feeling just shy of perceptibly full, but adding a nice piece of naan or pita would be pretty perfect on the side, too. This is hearty without being overwhelming, savory with a touch of sweetness from the tomatoes, and – if you don’t forget to add it at the last minute like I did – I can imagine that the lemon juice heightens all of the other flavors and gives it that extra something that I felt was missing in my own version.

This Egyptian Edamame Stew comes from Eating Well, and since I’m shockingly not blabbering on and on about the dish itself, I think it’s a good time to stop and gush about how much I love this site instead. I stumbled upon it early on in my cooking adventures, and I don’t think I’ve made a bad meal from it yet. The recipes are always at least moderately healthy and are made with relatively common ingredients, and I’ve never had a problem following the instructions. The food is consistently good, too, which is really the most important thing. So if you’re not already hooked like I am, definitely head on over to their site and browse around a little bit. It’s one of my favorite go-to sites for recipes, for sure.

Egyptian Edamame Stew, courtesy of Eating Well
Yield: 4-5 servings
(printable recipe)

The Ingredients
15 ounces (about 3 cups) frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large zucchini, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
dash of cayenne pepper
28 ounces diced tomatoes
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons lemon juice

The Method
Cook the edamame according to the package, either by boiling for several minutes until tender or softening in the microwave with a scant amount of water.

Meanwhile, place the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat and add the onion. Cover and cook, stirring sporadically, until the onions begin to soften, approximately 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and cover again, cooking for an addition 3 or so minutes until the onions start to brown. Add in the garlic, cumin, coriander, and cayenne, stirring until fragrant, roughly 30 seconds. Finally, stir in the tomatoes and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow to reduce slightly, roughly 5 minutes. Stir in the edamame and heat through, roughly 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro and lemon juice.


 

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Posted by toni

Spicy Edamame Pods

6:38 PM | Labels: , , , ,

It's official! The Floptimism Kitchen has moved zip codes yet again, and as of 8pm tonight, 98% of it is out of boxes. The bedroom, on the other hand...well, I'm working on it. You can see where my priorities are.

I had every intention of cooking up a storm this last week of the semester, but little did I know what a lofty goal this was in combination with the move. Dinner came at 10pm last night in the form of jalapeno-topped pizza, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like a real college student. But even then, I planned to go to the grocery store today and start up with my more typical cooking habits. Then, something very significant happened (studying), and something equally significant did not happen (unpacking), and I threw in the towel. This week will be one of assembly more than cooking, to say the least. Peanut butter sandwiches? Cereal? Grilled Cheese? Meals of Champions, the dishes that will, this week, allow me to maintain some semblance of sanity. You see, Nutritionists are human, too.
I thought it'd be appropriate, then, to share with you a recipe that can be pulled together without anything except a few handy ingredients and a microwave. Edamame is not a full meal in itself, but prepared this way it certainly could be a tasty snack or memorable side dish / meal component. Ever since first being introduced to this fantastic little legume, I have thoroughly enjoyed a nice bowl of edamame pods sprinkled with some coarse salt. It has protein and healthy fats to tide you over between meals, and it has such a clean and satisfying flavor. Plus, finger foods are always fun. But little did I know just how incredible they could be! With just a small amount of flavoring, these pods can be transformed into a dish that will knock your socks off. My lips were burning by the end of it, but I was smiling to myself, enjoying every bit of it. The flavor was phenomenal, with the "meaty" savory components of the edamame mixed with the tangy lemon juice and spicy red pepper flakes.

Even if you don't like spicy food (which, if you're still reading, I'm thinking you probably do), try this out with other seasonings. Even just microwaving the frozen pods in lemon juice instead of water would be a wonderful change to the standard home edamame preparation. I have no doubt that the remaining few pods I have in my freezer will be making another zesty appearance on my plate before the week is out - they're the perfect solution to easy food prep to break up my insert-ingredient-between-two-slices-of-bread menu I've got going on for Final's Week.

One Year Ago: Happy Biscuits!

Spicy (Or Not) Edamame Pods, adapted from Sippity Sup
Yield: infinitely adaptable!

The Ingredients
handful of frozen edamame pods per person
lemon juice, no more than 1 1/2 tablespoons
curry power and red pepper flakes, to taste
coarse salt, to taste

The Method
Place the edamame in a microwave-safe bowl and add the lemon juice, curry powder, and red pepper flakes. Toss to coat. Microwave according to instructions on the package, approximately 2 minutes. Remove from the microwave, check to make sure the pods have thawed and warmed, and top with coarse salt.

No pictures today, but if you're curious, the blogger who posted about the original recipe had some pretty nice ones. Enjoy!

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Posted by toni

Edamame Nachos can be Kosher for Passover (or...not)!

12:53 PM | Labels: , , , , ,


I intended to update practically every day this week to chronicle how I was getting through Passover without succumbing to the all-too-common cake-and-matzah diet. I have had several peers express intrigue over my keeping Passover: "Oh, wow! That must be a great detox" because, you know, you're not supposed to eat wheat, barley, oats, rye, and a whole bunch of other things. You tell this to a group of health-conscious Nutrition majors and they hear, "you can't eat refined carbs! No dessert, no bagels, none of that stuff - excellent!" But this, of course, is not the case. Jews would not tolerate a holiday that involved a full week of such deprivation, so we have instead created matzah-derived flours and other such baking mediums. Therefore, the only thing we wind up not being at a loss for is kosher cakes and brownies - I cannot tell you how many servings of flourless chocolate cakes, brownies, apple cake, sponge cake, and other various confections I have consumed over the past week, and that's while making it a point to cut back on the usual Passover dessert consumption. It's just easier to eat a piece of flourless chocolate cake for breakfast than try to fill yourself up on fruit and yogurt, and it certainly takes up less prep time than eggs. You see how easy it is to justify horrendous eating habits during Passover?

However, the end of the academic semester threw a knife into my plans for diligent updates regarding my more laudable (and perhaps somewhat pretentious) approach to Passover. Trying to study for 4 advanced science exams at the same time, in case you didn't know, is unquestionably impossible - not to mention the other end-of-year responsibilities falling down on Us Collegians this time of year. So, forgive me. I hope everyone had a fantastic Passover and Easter, and that I'm not the only one enjoying a sudden and dramatic climatic shift into Summer (finally)! 

So, without further adieu, I bring to you the Passover-Friendly Edamame Nachos, which is a wonderful way to mask matzah (or, since tonight ushers in the chametz-eating period again, a perfect way to enhance a tortilla chip!) and get some nice protein in while you're at it. I'm always looking for fun, healthier ways of enjoying what is, essentially, bar food, and I think it's safe to say that this is a very tasty alternative to what would normally be a very heavy appetizer drenched in a whole lot of flavor, but not enough nutrients to meet my criteria for an actual dinner recipe. It comes together in practically negative seconds, and has this beautiful blend of sweet and savory, creamy and crunchy. I think using some sort of smoky spice (smoked paprika, curry powder, etc.) and a touch of sea salt to the finished product would take this dish to a whole new level (these additions are reflected in the recipe below), perfect for your next I-need-a-quick-dinner situation or sports-viewing party alike.

One Year Ago: Lamingtons

Edamame Nachos, adapted from Dixie Chik Cooks
Yield: 1 main dish serving, 2 appetizer servings

The Ingredients
1/2 cup cooked/thawed, shelled edamame beans
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon curry powder or smoked paprika
1 clove garlic
1 layer of onion
1-2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 piece of matzah, broken into chip-size pieces, or a handful of tortilla chips
shredded cheese of choice, to taste
kosher/sea salt, to taste


The Method
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease with either cooking spray or a scant amount of oil or butter. Spread the matzah or chips over the foil and set aside.

Place all of the ingredients except the matzah, cheese and salt into a food processor and pulse until well mixed but still a little chunky (adjust according to personal preference). Spread the edamame mixture over the matzah/chips, sprinkle with the cheese, and place in the oven to cook for 5-7 minutes, or just until the cheese has melted and chips/matzah has browned ever so slightly (this happens very quickly). Remove from the oven and sprinkle with a small amount of salt, and serve.

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Posted by toni

Scrambled Egg Whites with Edamame, Green Beans & Mushrooms, plus a little housekeeping for fun

7:45 AM | Labels: , , , , , , , ,


I know that my last post hinted of heaps of dessert recipes and maybe even some non-chicken dinner entries, but I decided I would do something a little out of the ordinary for me and share with you my breakfast. Breakfast and lunch can be some of the most creative times for me, because I'm cooking just for me in small "batches." It's my time to experiment with combinations of impulses. There are no recipes here, and it's a freedom that dinner and desserts don't give me. I suspect that when I become more acclimated to cooking and baking, dinner in the Floptimism kitchen will look a lot more like the current breakfast and lunch affair, but that's looking pretty far down the road, I'd say.

So, here it is, my breakfast this morning:
Scrambled Egg Whites with Edamame, Green Beans, and Mushrooms
Yield: 1 serving
The Ingredients
1/3 C egg whites (or 2 large eggs)
3-4 Tbsp (or as much as you see fit) combination of cooked and cooled edamame, green beans, and mushrooms*
A pinch each of ground mustard and cumin
A hefty pinch of garlic powder
Ground Black Pepper, to taste

The Method
1. Place the vegetables in a skillet and cook over medium heat.
2. While the vegetables are reheating, combine the eggs and spices (minus the pepper) in a small dish (I always just use the measuring cup used in doling out the egg white from my trusty carton of egg whites).
3. When you start to hear the veggies sizzling a little bit, and the skillet seems hot enough for scrambling, add the olive oil and spread it around.
4. Pour the eggs in, and allow to sit for several seconds to begin to set (this is unnecessary if using whole eggs).
5. As the eggs set, move them all around (real technical terms we have here, I know) until they're all cooked up.
6. Serve, add a little ground pepper, and enjoy!

*Note: Last night, my mom microwaved one of those frozen packs of edamame, green beans and mushrooms for dinner. We had leftovers (does this happen to anyone else, or just in my vegetable-averse family?), so I heated some up this morning. I would imagine that any combination of them, even fresh ones, would work.

Now, all of that being said, I found these to be a little bland. I don't know if I need to stubbornly add a little bit of salt like most normal people who eat scrambled eggs, or if I need something like paprika or some onion in there to kick the flavor up. I used these spices in some random ratio a while back with whole eggs, and it was delicious, so maybe removing the yolks means that the spices need to be cranked up a notch. I also considered adding a little bit of pesto to the eggs just before scrambling, but was afraid that I would wind up with a pile of green mush, since most of the veggies were green, too; feel free to test that out, though, as it might give an appropriate flavor and even saltiness to the end product. I will continue experimenting with it, but wanted to show you guys something a little less structured coming out of my kitchen, especially during a meal that I tend to not share with you for some reason.

There's something else I'd like to mention, though - and mind you, I'm feeling and intending no "woe is me" portion of the post, by a long shot. If I never receive a "follower" (I don't really like that term - it makes me feel a little cult-ish) or a comment, I'll keep posting. I know that occasionally someone glances over my posts, and hopefully takes away a new recipe to try out even if they never acknowledge it. However, I'm starting to feel as though I've been around these parts long enough to have acquired a small group of readers, and that's just not the case.

I'm wondering if any more successful bloggers out there have any tips for me, I guess. I know that I get wordy, and have wondered if maybe that detracted from it. I also know that my photos leave a lot to be desired from, and I, myself, often choose to save or overlook a recipe based on how the picture turned out; I can't blame any superficiality on that front. I also know that my recipes aren't always so stellar - a lot of times they aren't finished products, and even more often they're pretty standard. See, I can think up some potential issues with this blog's failure to catch on, but I can't say with confidence if any of those reasons are the real ones.

If you are out there and reading, I would love to hear from you. There's so much potential on these blogs to share experiences and help one another, and I really would like to become a part of that.

That's all for today, I think. I still have those dessert and dinner plans, so I'll be back again soon...hopefully with a success story. If I don't manage to get on here before Sunday, I hope everyone has an enjoyable July 4th!

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Posted by toni
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