I was right out of college and wanted to learn how to cook so I signed up for a class with a focus on healthier cooking. It was taught by Robin Rifkin, an inspirational woman who continues to work in the food and nutrition community in Philadelphia. This was one of the first recipes I…
Tag: Vegetarian
The Basics of Cooking Beans
I’m pushing beans again because I’m trying really hard to get you to eat them several times a week. Although I’m not denying that canned beans are fast, easy, and nutrient-dense, cooking dried beans is definitely worth the little bit of extra effort. The texture and flavor are so different from canned beans, plus you…
Soy-Glazed Tofu with Crispy Mushrooms
If you’re not a fan of tofu, this pan-seared, crispy tofu dish adapted from bon appetit Healthyish might change your mind. Browning the tofu adds much-needed texture and paired with the intense flavor of the mushrooms and soy glaze makes this meat-free dish a winner among both vegetarian and carnivores. I suggest using oyster and…
The Basics of Cooking with Beans
My new cooking goal is to master the craft of cooking dried beans. This should be simple but my past experience resulted in soft, mushy or mealy beans but then I stumbled upon the website, Rancho Gordo. It inspired me to start cooking dried beans and to stop opening a can. Rancho Gordo beans are beautiful,…
Baked Tofu with any sauce you have in the fridge
Firm or extra firm tofu is an absorbent blank canvas of protein, ready to soak up any flavor you introduce. One of the simplest ways to use tofu is to cover it with your favorite sauce or dressing then bake it in a hot oven. To help the tofu take on a firmer texture, press…
Quinoa Pilaf with Raisins and Toasted Walnuts
Most of you are probably familiar with quinoa but if not, you might want to give it a try. It’s a quick cooking whole grain (cooks is less than 20 minutes), it’s gluten-free and a good source of fiber and protein. Although quinoa is not necessarily higher in protein than other whole grains, it does…
Chickpea Cakes with Cilantro Cucumber Sauce
I wanted to call these chickpea burgers but my son disagreed. He said they are closer in looks and texture to crab cakes so call them what they are, chickpea cakes. You don’t eat these on a bun but rather on top of a bed of fresh leafy greens. Beans are one of my favorite…
Grilled Tempeh with Gyoza Dipping Sauce
For you vegans out there, tempeh is most likely on your weekly menu rotation but for the rest of you, I bet you’ve never tried it. Tempeh is a soy product made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process (without added salt). It is very different from tofu, having a dense, chewy, somewhat crunchy texture. Tempeh…
A Change in Dinner Plans
Another example of why prepping on the weekend helps you to eat better throughout the week. A last minute schedule change has me eating in instead of out so I opened the refrigerator to see what I could find. Since I still had leftover salad bar fix-ins (see There’s a Salad Bar in the Fridge post)…
Tempting You with Tofu
Tofu. You either love it, hate it or have no interest in trying it. I’m hoping to move you to the “love it” camp. My favorite way to eat tofu is to bake it. You can buy it already baked and packaged (nasoya is a common brand) in various flavors like lemon pepper or sesame…
Meatless Monday with Gnocchi, Swiss Chard and White Beans
Here’s a delicious, nutrient-packed recipe from Eating Well Magazine that can fit into even the busiest of schedules.The protein comes from the beans which work well with the gnocchi and Swiss chard. For extra flavor, I added some jarred pesto from Costco because it’s always in my fridge. I used frozen gnocchi instead of fresh so…
Judy Matusky, RDN, LDN 