You can use any variety of pre-packed tofu but the chef recommends the silken tofu. This goes well with a thick and sweet dark soy sauce. All ingredients can be purchased in any Asian grocery nearest your area along with the fermented black beans and rice wine (the best authentic brand you can use is Shaoxing cooking wine, if you could find one)
Gluten-Free Cacao-Orange Frozen Mini Tarts
This decadent, low-glycemic, vegan-friendly treat is as healthy as it is “melt in your mouth” delicious. Cacao contains magnesium and phenylethymine (PEA) a.k.a the “love and joy” chemical, as well as helpful flavanol antioxidants shown to support the body’s cells and nerve and immune systems. We suggest an antioxidant-rich orange-basil filling, but you can use whatever you choose from the hundreds of fruits, nuts, and superfood combinations out there. Indulge!
Wild Rice Nuts-and-Fruits Toss
Wash the uncooked wild rice three times before putting in a saucepan with 5 cups of water. Place the pan over high heat and bring water to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat; cook, covered, for 25 minutes or less, just until rice is tender. Remove cooked rice from the pan, and put in a large bowl; let stand to cool completely.
Place the chopped dried mangoes in a separate bowl; soak in boiling water. soak for 5 minutes before draining. Combine the pecans, macadamia nuts, cherries, and mangoes with the rice; stir to blend well. Whisk together the lemon juice, oil, Stevia syrup, and salt in a small bowl before pouring over the rice mixture; mix well to blend thoroughly. Chill the wild rice salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. To serve, put mango cubes on top with some pine nuts and alfalfa sprigs. This salad is a great side to your favorite grilled fish.
Brown Rice Pasta and Broccoli Medley
Bring a stockpot of water to a rolling a boil. Trim the bottom stems of the broccoli and slice them into half-inch thick pieces. Cut the broccoli head into florets. Add the broccoli florets and stems to the boiling water. Stir in the carrot strips. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are tender but still crisp. With a slotted spoon, transfer the boiled broccoli to a bowl containing ice water. Soak for 3 minutes before draining.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat; add the garlic and saute for a few seconds. Stir in the red pepper flakes and the broccoli. Stir well to combine and season with salt. Bring the water in the stockpot back to a rolling boil and add the brown rice pasta. Cook for about 10 minutes. Stir in half a cup of the pasta water into the bowl of broccoli. Drain the pasta and toss in with the broccoli mixture; stir in the cheese and toss to combine well. Serve immediately.