Tempeh Spaghetti

I'm getting better at plating. Let's just leave it at that. Hope you all enjoy this vegetarian friendly dish.

Tempeh Spaghetti

• 8oz tempeh, diced into 1 inch cubes
• 1 clove garlic minced
• Several leaves of basil coarsely chopped
• 1/8 onion sliced
• 4 oz mushroom sliced
• 1 tsp Garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• Pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 8 oz spaghetti
• your favor spaghetti sauce

Procedure

1. In a large pot, cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions. When the spaghetti is done cooking. Use a colander to drain the water from the spaghetti pot and then rinse the hot spaghetti with some cold water to keep the spaghetti from sticking to itself.
2. While the spaghetti is cooking, measure out the olive oil into a large pan 
3. Cook the minced garlic clove and onion in the pan with the olive oil on medium heat until the garlic becomes slightly golden and the onion begins to look translucent. Stir frequently.
4. Add the tempeh to the pan. Flip the tempeh every so often so that each side gets a nice golden brown color. Cook the tempeh until all sides are golden brown.
5. Add the basil, mushrooms, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the pan. Cook until mushrooms have let out most of it's water.
6. In the pot used for cooking the spaghetti, combine the tempeh mixture and the spaghetti with spaghetti sauce on medium-low heat. Mix well.
7. Top with parmesean cheese if desired.

Lentil and Leek Almost Vegetarian Stew

Starting with this post, I made it my goal/challenge to include some calculated/estimated nutritional information with the recipe. I don't think there's enough science and math in this blog. I talk about experiments in the kitchen, but true experiments need to be better documented than what I have had previously. Hopefully I will be able to keep up. Let's call it a labor of love. Math takes time and effort. Cooking is the easy part.

This recipe came to fruition when I made a list of everything that I had in my fridge and pantry and started to mix and match ingredients to throw into a crock pot. I happened to find the leeks I had frozen a while ago in the back of my freezer.  Typically used in soups, most commonly potato and leek soup, for me leeks add something mysteriously sweet and full-bodied to the dish. I say mysterious because I slice it really thin and they end up nearly liquefying in the crock pot whenever I make stews or soups so it disappears leaving behind its essence. I would definitely say that leeks were the secret ingredient in this dish that gave the dish most of its flavor.

Lentil and Leek Almost Vegetarian Stew
2 cups per serving. Recipe makes about 3 servings.
Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped kale
• 5 oz baby bella mushrooms cut into quarters or eights depending on the size of the mushroom
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1.5 cup dry lentils
• 2 cups chicken broth (replace with vegetable broth to make this recipe vegetarian friendly)
• 7 oz baby carrots
• 1 cup/ 1.3 oz frozen leeks
• 1 cup water
• salt, pepper, thyme, basil, oregano to taste

Procedure

1. Put lentils in the crock pot first, then add the rest of the ingredients, ensuring that the lentils are covered with liquid.
2. Cook for 2 hours on low and then stir the pot. Then cook for 5 more hours on low.

Lentil and Leek Almost Vegetarian Stew Estimated Nutritional Information Per Serving (Serving size = 2 cups; 3 servings in 1 recipe)
Total Calories	455.55
Total Fat (g)	1.81
Cholesterol(mg)	0
Sodium (mg)	421.69
Potassium (mg)	1477.66
Total Carbs (g)	82.8
Fiber (g)	33.18
Sugar (g)	11.55
Protein (g)	30.65

Experimental Kale and Lentil Dish

Kale, sweet potatoes, and lentils are really good for you. (Or so the internet tells me.)These foods contain large amounts of fiber and vitamins and are supposedly super filling. I had all these ingredients in my refrigerator and wasn't quite sure what I would do with it so I decided to wing it and make a tangy, sweet but a little salty dish. Vegetable broth can be used instead of chicken broth to make this dish vegetarian-friendly. Be forewarned that the amounts of spices are approximated since I decided to add more spices after taste testing and adjusted the amounts to my best guess of what actually went into the dish. My best advice is to just have the ingredients list and add the listed amount and then add more of whatever ingredient you feel is needed until the dish tastes right to you.

Experimental Kale and Lentil Dish

Ingredients

• 1/2 med red onion, minced
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• approx. 4 oz baby bella mushrooms, quartered or eighthed depending on the size
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• about 8 oz. cooked lentils
• 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
• 6 cups chopped kale

Procedure

1. In a small pot, boil water and cook the lentils according to the instructions on the package.
2. In a large pot, cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil. Stir occasionally, then add the sweet potato and mushrooms.
3. Add in the salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, cumin, and balsamic vinegar to the large pot.Stir occasionally. Cook until sweet potato pieces have begun to soften.
4. To the large pot, add the cooked lentils, chicken broth, and chopped kale. Mix well. Cook until kale has wilted. 

Spinach and Mushroom with Yogurt Alfredo

Last week I went to the store and bought a giant tub of Greek yogurt. I figured it's a healthy breakfast item and I am trying to eat more healthy. However, the tub advertised that it's "great for cooking" so I decided to try and make an Alfredo sauce with it. Note to self: next time make sure you buy plain Greek yogurt instead of vanilla flavored. It turned out sweeter than expected, but definitely edible. This is the result.

The smell of mushrooms, onions, and spinach cooking together  made me really hungry.

Looks like regular alfredo to me

Finished product in the pan.

Ingredients

• 1/8 medium onion thinly sliced
• 4 oz baby bella/cremini mushroom thinly sliced
• fresh spinach (as much or as little as you like)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp shredded parmesean cheese
• 3 tbsp fat free Greek yogurt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

1. Cook the onion in a large non stick pan with the olive oil.
2. Add the mushrooms to the pan when the onion has begin to turn clear/see through. Cook until mushrooms have started to shrink and loose some water. Stir occasionally.
3. Wilt the spinach in the pan. Add the garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt and pepper to the pan. Mix /stir occasionally.
4. Add the cheese and yogurt when the spinach has completely wilted. Mix well
5. Serve mixed with pasta or over pasta.