Thursday, March 12, 2009

Eating Out: Taboun, San Francisco


Some nights I’m too tired or just plain too lazy to cook. Lucky for me I live close to Taboun, A Middle Eastern restaurant in Cole Valley on Parnassus @ Stanyan. The menu is filled with tasty vegetarian options such as the falafel plate, an eggplant wrap and my favorite, the vegetarian combo.


The vegetarian combo comes with hummus, baba ghanouj, tabouleh, tomato cumber salad, falafel, dolmas and pita bread. It’s $7.50 and it is more than enough for 2 to share.

If you live near by or if you happen to be in the neighborhood, its worth checking out.

Leave us a comment or send us an e-mail about any great vegetarian finds that you have discovered while dinning out. We’d love to hear from you!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Orange Cashew Tofu with Broccoli


You may recognize the Orange Cashew Tofu from our January posting. We jazzed it up a bit and added broccoli and onion. It was so yummy we wanted to share this alternate version.

1 10 to 12 oz block of firm tofu cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup unsalted roasted cashews
1 cup broccoli cut into 2 inch pieces
1/4 cup sliced onion
About 2 teaspoons olive oil
5 Scallions cut into 1/2 pieces- use both the white and green part
Juice of 1 orange
1/4 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 teaspoons grated garlic
3 teaspoons grated ginger
1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes, or to taste
1 teaspoon hot chili oil, or to taste

I like to buy raw, unsalted cashews and roast them myself. If you are using raw cashews, roast them in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until toasted.

In a small bowl, stir together the orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, honey and cornstarch. Set aside

Heat skillet to medium high and add a bit of the olive oil. When the oil is hot add the broccoli and onion and stir occasionally. You can put a lid over the skillet to slightly steam the broccoli and it will cook a little faster. When the broccoli is just about cooked through take it out and set aside.

Add a little more olive oil to the skillet and add the tofu. Stir occasionally.


After about 5 minutes add in the scallions and stir occasionally until the tofu is browned and crispy and scallions are soft (about another 5 minutes.) Transfer the tofu and scallion mixture to the bowl with the broccoli.

Turn down the skillet to medium low. Add the remaining olive oil. Add the garlic, ginger and chili flakes. Stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant.


Add the orange juice mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens slightly.

Add the tofu, scallion and broccoli mixture and the roasted cashews. Toss and cook for another minute to re-warm everything. Serve with brown rice.

Makes 4 Servings

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Sneak in the Greens


Next time you make a grilled cheese sandwich, kick up the nutrition by adding a handful of fresh healthy chopped greens.

We made ours with Japanese red mustard greens for a little added kick. These peppery greens are loaded with nutrients and are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber. Chopped red or green chard or spicy arugula would also be excellent choices.



Our sandwich pictured above includes white onions, fresh ground pepper and whole grain bread.
Serve this with a side salad and you’re ready for a satisfying meal in less than 20 minutes.