Chicago Diner Inspired Avocado Tostadas

I visited the infamous Chicago Diner for the first time the other day with a good friend. I've heard pretty mixed reviews of the place with a lean towards yummy, but I definitely wanted to check it out for myself. The menu looked pretty good, and there were several things I wanted to order. I picked the Avocado Tostadas because I am not the type of vegetarian that does it despite the fact that they love the taste of meat. The Chicago Diner is famous for their vegan versions of popular meat diner food like the ruben. Meat doesn't taste good to me, so I don't want a dish that tries to imitate it. Instead, I opt for lot's of delicious veggies. There's not a vegetable that I don't like.

Anyway, I got my food, and it was delicious. The only problem was that my two tostadas were not filling, and they cost a whopping $10.99. Well, there was one more slight problem. I didn't like the salsa. It was a mild blend of what I believe to be cilantro, lime, and vinegar which I opted not to use.

Essentially, the tostada started with a layer of spiced black beans, followed by a thin layer of quinoa, sauteed red peppers and onions, and topped with fresh avocado. It's pretty simple, but it tastes great, it's healthy, vegan, and easy to make.

Here's what you'll need to make 4 or 5;

Tostadas
Can of Black Beans
1 small Red Onion, sliced into thin strips
1 Bell Pepper (red or orange), sliced into thin strips
1 cup Quinoa, cooked (easily done in a rice cooker)
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 ripe Avocado (you know when an avocado is ripe if it ever so slightly yields to pressure and the nub easily comes off)
Salsa (I really like on from Salpica for this recipe. It's a verde made with green olives and roasted tomatillos. It's a little smokey and spicy.)
Mexican Seasoning blend to taste

Set the quinoa. Open the can of beans, and pour about half of the water out. Slowly simmer the beans with water and the seasoning. When it is heated through, pour out half of the beans and mash well. Then blend the beans with the mash, and you have the bean spread. Meanwhile, you should be sauteing the onions and pepper.

When all of your ingredients are ready, you can heat the tortillas by placing them over your burner with a low flame until they get a little sweaty. Layer the beans and then quinoa. Spread the salsa. Top with the peppers and onions and finally the fresh avocado.

Super easy, super yummy.

Pineapple Cashew Quinoa with Fresh Spring Rolls

Ok, ok, I know having pineapple in your main course is a little off-putting to some, but I swear this dish is not too sweet. It's actually savory and a little spicy. The pineapple just adds a great texture and balances some of the spice from the chilies. Paired with the spring roll, this meal is vegan and can be eaten hot or cold, and it is pretty darn healthy to boot. I got the recipe for the stir-fry from Veganomicon, but the spring rolls I just made up.

To start you should prep a cup of quinoa by cooking it with 1 cup of pineapple juice, 1 cup water, and a dash of soy sauce. You can skip the pineapple juice if you're worried it'll be too sweet. The quinoa should be fully cooked, fluffed, and cooled before you start the stir-fry.

For the stir-fry you'll need;

4 oz Raw, Unsalted Cashews
3 tbsp Peanut Oil
2 Scallions, thinly sliced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Red Chilies, thinly sliced
Small chunk of Ginger, peeled and minced
1 Red Pepper, diced
1 cup cooked Edamame
1/2 cup Basil, sliced
2 tbsp Mint, chopped
10 oz fresh Pineapple, chopped into bite-size pieces
3 tbsp Soy Sauce
3 tbsp Vegetable Stock
1 tbsp Mirin (I replaced this with Sake, so I could drink the rest with dinner)
Lime wedges to garnish

Toast the cashew for about 5 minutes over low heat and remove from the pan. Raise heat and add the oil, garlic, and scallions. After they start to sizzle, add the chilies and ginger. After about 2 minutes, add the bell pepper and edamame and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the peppers are soft. Add the basil and mint. After about another minute you can add the pineapple, cashews, and quinoa.

Mix soy sauce, stock, and sake in a separate container and then coat the quinoa. Heat and stir 10-14 minutes until it is hot. Be sure to stir the quinoa frequently, so it doesn't stick or burn. The lime tastes great squeezed over this dish.

The spring rolls have more room for your creativity. For these, I suggest getting the following ingredients;

Spring rolls (the rice kind --all you have to do is soak them in water for under a minute until they are soft and sticky)
Vermicelli or rice noodles (these cook in 30 seconds in boiling water)
Extra Firm Tofu, cut into rectangular strips
Spinach or other flavorful salad green
Carrots, julienned
Cucumber, julienned
Red Bell Pepper, cut into strips
Mint
Cilantro

Use a non-stick griddle to eat the tofu on each side. Roll the ingredients you choose in the spring roll, and you're done! The mint and cilantro are really flavorful and refreshing, so whatever ingredients you choose I'd keep those.

Now you can serve the stir-fry and spring rolls together on a plate, and you'll have a refreshing Thai inspired meal.

Want something heavier? Freeze some of the spring rolls and deep fry them. I haven't tried this yet, but my boyfriend is going to take them to work to give it a whirl.

Coconut Curry Sweet Potatoes with Baby Bok Choy ...and other veggies

This is a super easy recipe. Just buy some Thai Red Curry paste (you only need a few teaspoons at a time depending on how spicy you like your curry) and keep some light coconut milk cans and brown rice in stock. That way if you have some left-over random veggies in your fridge you can whip up a quick tasty dinner.

Start with the rice unless you have the fancy frozen stuff because that will take the longest. I have a rice cooker I set right when I get home if I know I want to make this dish. That way I can putz around the house a bit before I start cooking, and rice will be done about the same time as the rest of the meal. Remember, you can always make rice ahead of time and freeze it your self in zip-lock bags. I don't have a microwave, so I would just heat some water to a low boil and add the rice (keeping the rice in the bag) until it is heated through.

All you need to do for the sauce is warm a can (or two if you like a lot of sauce) of coconut milk with a few teaspoons of curry paste. Adding a ton of finely chopped cilantro and a thinly sliced Thai red chili to the sauce will make it more flavorful and pretty, but you don't really need that. While you warm the sauce, you can prepare the veggies you want to use. I used sweet potatoes, baby bok choy, sauteed shallots, mushrooms, and red pepper. Steam or saute the vegetables you want to use so that they are almost ready for consumption. Do not overcook them because you will be adding them to the sauce to cook for another 5 minutes or so.

For added protein, I used tofu. You do not need to use a lot of oil with the tofu. A couple of teaspoons is plenty if you have a nice non-stick griddle. Slice your tofu into 1" cubes, and use some paper towels to blot out a little of that water. Spread the cubes so that they are flat on your pre-heated griddle. Then flip after about five minutes or when the bottoms are a light golden brown. Repeat on the other sides so that you have nice crispy cubes.

When all of your veggies and tofu are done you can add them to the sauce. Coat and cook for 5 minutes. Serve over rice and you have a hearty and healthy meal!!