Lemongrass and Ginger Stir Fry with Marinated Tofu

August 1. Today marks the start of the happiness projects going on in our household. August's theme is Expression, marked by goals to read and write more. Reading is an easy goal for me, as I take BART into the city each day and can read for at least 20 minutes each way. Plus, I'm starting with Steinbeck, my favorite! Writing can be a little more challenging for me, but I find it very satisfying when I do it regularly. So, my writing goals are to use my Line-A-Day journal every day and to blog 3x a week. I guess it'll be pretty evident to you all if I'm really keeping up my end of that bargain.

So, for this week, I'm starting off slowly with

a recipe that I altered just a little. This wasn't the cheapest of meals for me, as I didn't have all of the ingredients on hand, and I wasn't really watching my budget. Nonetheless, they're ingredients that I would often have in my kitchen, and I think you can tweak it as you see the need.

I started with the recipe, here.

Substitutions:

1. I had no peanut oil, so I used sesame oil instead. I really like sesame oil and it provided a nice smoky flavor as it cooked.

2. I used two thai chilies, which are VERY hot. I like hot, so this works well. If you don't, you might opt for a milder variety. Make sure that if you're using a really hot chili, that you pull the chili meat out before serving--otherwise, someone will get a big, spicy surprise.

3. I couldn't find whole lemongrass, so I opted for a pre-prepared version. BIG timesaver and BIG flavor increase! I really liked it. I bought mine at Lucky, but I'm sure you could get it almost anywhere. It comes in a tube. Gross? Maybe. But it works.

4. Sugar snap peas are in season, green beans are not. Enough said. Don't overcook the sugar snap peas--the point is the snap!

5. What is palm sugar? If you know, enlighten me. If you know where to buy it, even better! I do know what kaffir lime leaves are, but I've never found them yet. Obviously I left these two out.

6. I'm spoiled and have really, really good, locally made tofu at my farmer's market. Thanks, Tofu Yu! I used the Jasmine Tea Smoked Tofu. But of course, any very firm marinated tofu would work. I didn't shred it, but instead cut it into 1/8" slices and then cut those into 1/2" pieces. Yummy.

All together, the dish came out really nicely. It's obviously vegetarian, but if you used tamari instead of soy sauce, it would be gluten free (check the ingredients in the lemongrass tube!). It is also vegan without any amendments! The flavors are really rich, and much better than a typical stir fry. The sesame and tea-smoked tofu gave nice smoky flavors, while the Thai chili lent some spice, and the onion and snap peas provided just the right balance of sweetness. Plus, it's a great re-heat for leftovers!

If the whole project tastes like this, then happiness will be guaranteed! Happy eating.

Spring into Summer Succotash

Well, friends, it's been a while. I had gotten away from blogging because I'm not great at writing on a daily basis, but due to my new interest in The Happiness Project, I'll be working on that during the month of July. So, I am renewing my interest in writing by using my unabated interest in cooking. This week, I didn't do a good job of keeping up with prices, but the result was still pretty cheap (I estimate) and quite yummy. I have to give most of the credit to my roommate, who is an excellent cook and blended two recipes for this one.

Here in NoCal, spring and summer are heralded by lots of beans! And now that we're further into summer, we're even getting the beginnings of corn and bell peppers. Thus, the birth of Spring Into Summer Succotash. We hope you'll enjoy it!

Spring Into Summer Succotash

Ingredients:

1 C fresh or frozen lima beans [or fava beans, if you can find them!]

2 cloves garlic, finely diced

2 tsp olive or canola oil

1/3 C diced white onion

1 English cucumber, peeled and chopped

1 C fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears of corn)

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 tsp tarragon, fresh if possible

2 small baby yellow summer squash, thinly sliced

1/2 C vegetable broth/stock

Seasonings [as I never actually measure how much I'm using]:

cumin

red pepper flakes

paprika

salt

pepper

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large [deep] frying pan. Add the onion and garlic and sautee until the onions are translucent.

2. Add the bell pepper and continue sauteeing on medium heat.

3. Add the squash, the seasonings, and the corn, stirring for another minute or two, or until fragrant.

4. Add the beans and cook for another minute to allow the beans to absorb the seasoning.

5. Stir in the vegetable stock and continue cooking until the squash are translucent.

6. Cover and simmer for about 3-4 minutes, or until the corn is cooked through and the beans are warm.

7. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper to taste, and top off with the uncooked cucumber.

Enjoy!

**This could be made cheaper (though less delicious) by using canned or frozen vegetables, though we wouldn't recommend it. :)

Friends and Fish Tacos

For dinner yesterday, my roommate and I had another friend over for our weekly Tuesday dinner party. Of course, I am still on the hunt for the most economical and delicious recipes possible, so here we go!

Tilapia is a really cost-effective fish, and if you're buying U.S. farm-raised, it's also relatively sustainable. We're not just egg snobs around here, we're also fish snobs. Luckily, on this one occasion, being concerned with sustainability pairs nicely with being concerned with cost. On top of all this, I LOVE fish tacos. It's actually an obsession of mine that has only increased with time. Not to mention with the discovery of Tacubaya, a local taqueria that makes possibly the best fish tacos on the face of the planet. But, on a teeny-tiny budget, Tacubaya is out of the question for the forseeable future.

So, we created this lovely recipe, using a base recipe from GimmeSomeOven.com. (Click on the link for recipe.) I edited it a bit. I didn't bake the fish, I fryed it with a very light flour batter. In addition, I used a yellow onion instead of a red onion because it was what I had. Blue corn tortillas looked yummy, so I added those on. Finally, I added a yogurt sauce which I've made before of fish tacos, using yogurt, cilantro, salt, and sugar to taste.

The result was so yummy that we didn't pause for pictures, but here is the breakdown:

Tilapia: $2.82
Onion: $0.50
Mandarin oranges: $0.79
Red pepper portion: $0.25
Cilantro: $0.25
Jalapeno: $0.10
Spinach: $0.25
Tortillas: $1.99

The rest were bits and pieces that I had on hand, so I haven't counted them.

All in all, total cost per serving (served 3) was $2.32. Considering that this meal included fish, I was pretty darn impressed!

Bon appetit!

New Beginnings: Fall Vegetable and Quinoa Hash with Poached Eggs

Life has its surprises, and recently, it had a big one in store for me. Recently unemployed, and not exactly sure which direction to go, I am deciding to turn my unemployment into FUNemployment by taking on a number of projects around the house while I begin the job hunt anew. Of course, part of FUNemployment is finding all of the ways to make these projects low cost and exciting enough to substitute for a dinner out and a movie in a real, honest-to-goodness theater. So, this is my attempt to create the cheapest meals possible while still maintaining my love for gourmet eats. Bon marche is the French term for inexpensive, meaning literally, "the good deal" or "the good market." Since I love good deals and my local farmer's market, this seems like the perfect name for my new undertaking. I hope you will enjoy, and pinch some pennies along with me.

To begin: a new breakfast for supper favorite--Fall-Vegetable and Quinoa Hash with Poached Eggs from WholeLiving.com. With just a few minor adjustments to ingredients based on what was in the pantry, this created a pretty great substitute for your Southern eggs and hashbrowns (strong praise coming from a Southerner). The quinoa lends a really nutty flavor, especially if you can find black quinoa, which we bought at Whole Foods. The beets and potatoes are vaguely sweet, and the thyme and spices are in great balance with the rest of the ingredients.

I'll approximate cost, since these ingredients already existed in my pantry.

Quinoa: $0.50

Beets: $0.75

Leek: $0.50

Sweet potato: $1.00

Eggs: $0.80 **We're egg snobs in this household and only eat free-range eggs...you could definitely cut this cost, not that I'm suggesting it.

The rest of the items were pantry staples, so they cost me nothing. I used apple cider vinegar instead of white wine vinegar because I was out, pink sea salt because it's fun, and dried thyme because I had no fresh.

So--drumroll please--total cost per person: $1.78 per person, more or less. If you did a meal for 4, it would be about $1.25 per person. Since we had 2 people eating, and plenty of leftovers, we're thinking we'll do a breakfast scramble re-run with a salty cheese like feta. I'll be sure to report back.

Enjoy!

Ingredients for this meal. To see the actual recipe, click the link above. I wouldn't want to plagiarize Martha Stewart.

And the finished product! Bon appetit!