This Week's Menu

We're seeing green here at Well on Wheels headquarters... that is, St. Patrick's Day and all things Irish.  This week's menu features a traditional Irish side dish, Colcannon, made by combining mashed potatoes with chopped greens.  Any kind will do.  I used parsley, green onion and kale, but you can do this with green cabbage instead.

I was also making butternut bisque soup today, so I decided to throw in a bit of the squash, too, turning the potatoes a bright chartreuse color.  I kinda liked the glowing quality of the end result.  The Colcannon was served with pan-fried tempeh and a tahini mushroom gravy.

Also on the menu was a Teriyaki Seitan Stir-fry with broccoli, carrots and red onion.  I love the color contrasts, as well as the sweet and spicy flavors.  For textural interest, I tossed some roasted salted peanuts on for a finishing touch.

The final item on this week's menu was a Stewed Black Beans with Dirty Rice and Cumin Spiced Zucchini and Yellow Squash.  I've been doing variations on enchiladas the past couple of weeks, and this was sort of a deconstruction.  A delicious deconstruction.

Cooking from the PPK (sort of)

That's "Post Punk Kitchen," as in vegan chef extraordinaire Isa Chandra Moskowitz's cramped Brooklyn kitchen.  Not that I was there... but her Cast Iron Stir-fry with Avocado, Basil and Peanuts recipe magically transported me to her vegan headquarters when Well on Wheels stirred up dinner for friends this weekend.

I chose this recipe because of all the colorful ingredients (look at that rainbow in the pot!), the complimentary flavors (spicy ginger & red pepper flakes, sweet veggies, salty tamari... and oh, that hoisin), and the intriguing textures of crunchy peanuts combined with creamy avocado (coincidentally, one of my favorite sushi fillings).

My modification to the recipe:  I cubed the tofu, marinated it in tamari and toasted sesame oil, then baked it in the oven until golden brown and slightly crispy.  It takes a little longer this way, but then there's no crying because the tofu stuck to the pan and turned into an unintentional tofu scramble.

  
I'm really loving this method of tossing the veggies directly into a hot pan coated with a little peanut oil.  No need for a wok - you just cook what fits in the bottom of the skillet, transfer it to a bowl, then move on to the next batch.  Once everything has had it's moment in the heat and has been cooked to perfection, you return everything to the pan, saute your garlic and ginger, then add your sauce.  Stir it all together and test it for tasty goodness.  

Serve it with some brown rice and your lovely garnishes and this makes the perfect centerpiece for your dinner party.