My new favorite way of eating kale is stir frying it in my wok. I actually crave this stuff and make a whole bundle and eat it all by itself for dinner. I know I eat a lot of things some people would think is weird but this is really delicious in my book! I also know many of you who have a love of kale will just love this stir fry. For tonight's dinner I decided to serve it with some blacken tofu....now we're really cooking! Blackened tofu, kale and quinoa....I'm loving these Superfoods. :)
Let's begin with the kale...the king of the leafy greens!
Stir Fried Kale
Ingredients
- kale, I used 10oz organic package from Trader Joe's
- 2 tablespoon of nutritional yeast, fine ground
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- salt to taste
- sesame seeds to garnish
In large wok or saute pan heat oil on medium high. Add kale and stir fry for about a minute. Sprinkle nutritional yeast and garlic powder over top, turning and moving the kale around to get all the spices mixed well throughout the kale. Continue stir frying for another four to five minutes. You may leave a cover on for a minute here and there in between stir frying to help soften the kale. When kale turns bright green it's about ready to be removed from heat. Test a piece and see if it's too your liking, if not stir fry a little longer. Some may like it crisp and some may like it softer. Serve with a sprinkle of sesame seeds on top.
On to the blackened tofu that was such a nice accompaniment...
Blackened Tofu
Ingredients
- one block firm or extra firm organic tofu
- 2 tablespoons tamari, bragg's liquid amino's or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Spice Blend
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon black or white pepper
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Open and drain tofu. Slice tofu into slabs, whatever size you prefer. Press tofu between paper towels or cloth to remove excess moisture. In a shallow dish place tofu and tamari, bragg's or soy sauce and let set a few minutes, turn after a few minutes to let the other side soak.
In medium size bowl, combine all spice blend ingredients and mix until blended. This is fairly spicy so you may consider using less black pepper and/or cayenne.
In saute pan, heat oil on medium high heat. Place tofu pieces in spice blend, press gently to get a good coating, turn and repeat on the other side. Place coated tofu onto saute pan and cook a few minutes on each side. They will blacken nicely as they should and be so tasty! Serve with quinoa, rice, kale or anything that calls to you. Serves four. I used half a block and kept the spice measurements the same.
Let's do some quinoa, another Superfood! I finally got the right way to cook it that I like...
Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, I used tri-color from Trader Joe's
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt to taste
Rinse your quinoa under cool running water for about a minute or two to remove any dust. If you forego this step your quinoa will have a bitter taste. Well worth the step. In medium to large pot add quinoa and water, bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15-20 min. Once done stir and let set for 10 minutes uncovered to rest and soak up any excess water. Stir once again before serving. It will be a perfect quinoa, fluffy and sprouted.
I love quinoa, it can be eaten alone or served with so many other veggies and fruits. Season for the dish you are serving it with, or don't use any seasoning at all...it's really good all by itself. The other day I had some left over quinoa and black beans in the fridge and decided to mix them together and serve it cold with lots of strawberries in the mix....sounds weird but it was so good! Anyhow tonight it is served with blackened tofu and kale. :)
Enjoy !
Blackened tofu inspired by this recipe at Daily Garnish....Great visual instructions as well!
