"Everthing but the Kitchen Sink" Vegan Pad Thai

Is it normal to stress over vegetables?  I hope you answered "yes" because that is EXACTLY what I'm doing. I'm only 3 weeks into my CSA share and already food is going to waste in the refrigerator! It's like I'm in an episode of the Amazing Race, just trying to keep up with Team Veggie. Oh no! There goes Mr. Tomato! Slow down, Mrs. Kale... we haven't even been properly introduced!!

To avoid the nervous breakdown that will inevitably result from seeing my hard-earned dollars chucked in the trash, I have come up with a new plan of attack - use as many fresh herbs and vegetables in each dish as humanly possible. If it even remotely looks like it might mesh with the flavor profile of what I'm cooking, I'm throwing it into the pan!

That's how I discovered "Everthing but the Kitchen Sink" Vegan Pad Thai! I'm not even vegan, but after I dumped a whole garden in the pan, there was no room leftover for the meat!

Image via independenttraveler.com

Pad thai is one of my all-time favorite dishes. Five years ago, I landed in this fair city bearing just one suitcase. That was it. There was barely enough room for my closet, much less pots and pans, plates, silverware or glasses! So needless to say, my first apartment lacked the tools for a properly functioning kitchen. And honestly, that was just fine with me because I was busy discovering the joys of 1) BLT's on a bagel from the corner deli (super healthy, right?), and 2) chicken pad thai from the tiny hole in the wall next door (c'mon, a filling $7 dinner in this city is a steal!).

Thankfully, things have changed since then, but I still miss my little pad thai spot! So the other day, Adam and I decided to try our hand at homemade pad thai. Neither of us had made it before, and now I'm not quite sure why! Minus all the veggie chopping, this dish is a cinch! Plus, when you make your own pad thai, you can avoid the MSG and preservatives that are oftentimes hidden in this delicious recipe.

And now, a photo play-by-play to guide you on your very own Asian culinary adventure...

Slice 1 white onion into long slivers.

Wash and slice a large handful of carrots (in this case, baby carrots... that's all we had) into very thin slivers.

Wash and slice 1 bunch of baby bok choy (only discard the very tip of the white end).

Wash and chop a heaping handful of broccoli.

Wash and roughly chop 1 bunch of scallions, including the white ends.

Look at all those lovely veggies!

Oh... and if you're into fungi (hehe), wash a handful of shiitake mushrooms thoroughly and slice thin.

Grab your sauce ingredients and get out a measuring cup. In your measuring cup, mix together 3 Tbs. tamari or low-sodium soy sauce, 2 Tbs. rice vinegar, 2 Tbs. of your favorite hot sauce (we used sriracha), 1 Tbs. of mirin (sweetened sake) OR sherry and 1 Tbs. maple syrup or honey (this is enough sauce for about 4 servings).

Cook your rice noodles according to package directions. A 1/2 lb. of noodles will result in about 4 servings.

While the noodles are cooking, roughly chop a handful of peanuts to top your pad thai.

Do the same with a handful of fresh cilantro.

When your noodles are done, pour them into a colander and immediately rinse with cold water from the sink (to stop the cooking process and keep them from sticking together). Set aside. NOTE: You can run cold water over them again right before serving if they begin to stick again.

In a large saute pan, add 2-3 Tbs. of coconut oil and saute the onions, the white part of the scallions, carrots and white ends of the bok choy for 3 minutes or so over medium-high heat.

Now add the green parts of the bok choy, the broccoli and the mushrooms and continue to saute until soft.

Add your sauce and stir to coat. Cook for about 4 minutes more until most of the sauce has soaked into the veggies.

Turn the burner down to medium-low and stir in 14 oz. of coconut milk. Cook until the sauce reduces and begins to thicken, approximately 3-4 minutes. If you have them (we didn't... sad face), add 1 cup of mung bean sprouts at this point.

Once the sauce thickens a bit, you're done! Turn off the burner, then add the noodles and peanuts directly to the saute pan and mix thoroughly. 

Garnish with the green part of the scallions and the fresh cilantro. Serve with a few lime wedges
on the side for extra flavor!

Do I sense an "Asian Night" in your near future?

Summer Eats: Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Cherry Salsa

I recently joined my neighborhood CSA, meaning I bought a "share" of a local farm and in return, get fresh fruits and veggies! It makes me feel very earthy and very grown up. 

When I returned from Indiana last week, Walter's cat-sitter Katie left me a gift in the refrigerator - a carton of fresh bing cherries. Then, when I picked up my CSA share on Tuesday, I was faced with yet another carton of fresh cherries. With all these cherries on my hands, I was forced to get creative (and by "get creative", I mean "google" cherry recipes).

The blog Iowa Girl Eats turned up a winner. But instead of chicken, I decided to adapt the recipe a bit and use fish, as I was craving some of those good-for-you omega-3's!

But enough about fish, let's talk bing cherries. 

Rumor has it that this cherry variety was named after the Chinese foreman Ah Bing who lived and worked on the Lewelling family fruit orchards in Oregon for 35 years in the late 1800's. Besides being sinfully sweet, bing cherries have amazing health benefits...

SUPER SNOOZIN' - Cherries are one of the few foods to contain melatonin, which helps regulate your sleep cycle.

BRAIN FEEDIN' - Eating cherries helps prevent memory loss and aids in overall brain health.

INFLAMMATION REDUCIN' - The antioxidants in cherries are famous for reducing inflammation, especially the inflammation linked to arthritis and gout.

CANCER FIGHTIN' - Cherries are packed with the flavonoid queritrin, which is considered one of the most potent anticancer agents. Queritrin helps your body fight off cancerous cells.

MIGRAINE ELIMINATIN' - The bioflavonoid compounds in cherries are known to eliminate migraine headaches by working in a way similar to aspirin or ibuprofen (which is ironic because I had a migraine the night I made this dish and woke up completely cured!).

Now let's get to the good part, the fresh cherry salsa...

Just look at those juicy little buggers!

Score a handful of cherries into fourths. I used enough to top 2 fish filets...

...then remove the pits.

They should look like this when you're done.

The original recipe calls for a red onion, but I say use what you have. For 2 servings, dice half of a small onion and add to the cherries in a mixing bowl.

Add the juice of half a lemon.

Now add a handful of chopped fresh basil...

... along with 1 tsp. of honey and a dash of sea salt.

Pour in 1 tsp. of balsamic vinegar.

Mix well and chill in the fridge so the flavors can combine while you cook the fish!!

Now for the fish...

Drizzle a light coat of coconut oil (or oil of your choice) on the top side of the filets. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Heat 2-3 Tbs. of coconut oil (or other oil) on a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the mahi-mahi, skin side down. Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes until cooked through. When you flip, the skin should peel off fairly easily. Add the juice of half a lemon for extra flavor. Allow the fish to cool for 5 minutes before topping with the salsa.

Look at that colorful, nutrition-packed dinner!

I know we're done here, but what's one more picture? It was just so beautiful!!

This dish is perfect for a light summer dinner, and it's guaranteed to impress!