Veggies: Pea Vine Stir-fry

It felt like real summer last week and we took the A & N to a farmers market. After our shopping expedition at the market sampling breads, jams and juice we decided to make it a weekly event as the kids loved the scene, we loved the fresh fruits and veggies and even ate some yummy tamales and quesadillas in the open air market. Perfect start to our weekend last week! I bought a bunch of Pea Vines at this local farmers market and the idea of a stir-fry came to be. Pea Vines or pea shoots are essentially top greens of a Pea plant harvested in spring and early summer. These greens are known to have a high level of vitamins and minerals and also high in carotenes to fight cancer and other diseases. I decided to make another kid friendly recipe as its becoming clear that we want the kids to eat what we eat so that there isn't dual amounts of cooking going on in a busy twin household.

Here is a shot of the Pea Vines nestling in with their cooking counterparts - the brilliant peppers, spring onions and zucchini:

Recipe

• 1/2 Bunch Pea Vine Greens, ~ 2 to 3 cups chopped
  
• 2 Spring Onions with Bulbs, sliced thin
  
• 1 Small Zucchini, cut into pieces
  
• 1/2 Red Pepper, chopped
  
• 1/2 Yellow Pepper, chopped
• 1 and 1/2 Cups Tofu, cubed
  
• 3 Cloves Garlic
  
• 1 inch Ginger piece, grated
• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Mango Chili Vinegar (Trader Joe Brand, can substitute Rice Vine Vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:
Heat some oil on medium-high heat in a non-stick stir fry pan and toss in the tofu cubes. Stir-fry the tofu till lightly browned. Set aside.

Add additional oil if needed to the pan and stir in the garlic and spring onions. Saute these till they are translucent and almost reaching light brown stage. Add chopped zucchini, then the bell peppers and stir fry till they soften. Now add the pea vine greens and let it start to wilt. Add in the grated ginger. Mix and then add in all the sauces to coat the veggies. Add back the tofu and let it integrate into the stir-fry for another minute. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm over a bed of jasmine rice.

The Verdict?
The kids loved the tofu and other veggies in this dish but couldn't eat the greens too much as it was a little more chewy than they are used to. We on the other hand enjoyed the pea vine stir fry very much and you could taste the light sweet taste of peas in the greens and the classic combo of ginger, garlic, vinegar and soy gave the mixed veggies great flavor. I would recommend eating all of it the same day cooked as the greens didn't taste as good the second day.

Notes:
Source: My own creation
Make sure to chop the lower part of the Pea Vine bunch and just use the upper tender portions as the lower stems can be tough and fibrous.
Add chilies or hot sauce to your taste as we decided not to make this spicy for our kids sake.

Tarts: Tofu Delight

Brunch is one of my favorite eating times, you are allowed to combine the savory options of lunch with great breakfast favorites like eggs and this tart showcases few of my favorite ingredients: Tofu, Carrots and Eggs. I gave little bits of this tart to my one year old twins and they loved it. Knowing how selective they are about foods, I considered it a recipe well done.

The star ingredients: Diced Tofu, GratedCarrots, Eggs, Red Onion, Cilantro and Green Chili

Recipe:

• 1 8 oz (1/2 packet) Extra Firm Tofu diced into small cubes
• 1 cup Red Onions finely chopped
• 1 cup grated Carrots
• 6 Eggs
• 2 Garlic Cloves finely chopped
• 2 Slices Colby Cheese finely diced
• 1 Puff Pastry Sheet (I used Pepperidge Farm Brand), thawed and rolled out
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 Green Chili (we don't like it too spicy in our household, add more to taste)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt, Cumin (jeera) powder
• 1 to 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• Dash Pepper

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Defrost pastry sheet per package directions and roll out slightly and cut into 12 rectangular pieces. Take a wok and heat up the oil to medium and saute garlic first till golden brown, then add green chili and red onions to the wok. Saute till onions are soft and add carrots to mix. Once the carrots start to look a little tender, add the cubed tofu, cilantro,salt, cumin and pepper powder and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off heat and let this cool.

In a bowl, break up the eggs and whisk till whites and yellows are blended. Add the cooled tofu fry into the eggs. Mix.

In a non-stick muffin tray, line each cup with the pastry sheet cuts. You can gently mold it to the muffin cups but no need to press or reshape the pastry sheet. Scoop equal parts of the egg-tofu filling into each pastry cup. Sprinkle the cheese on top.

Bake in 400F oven for 15 to 18 minutes. The top of the tarts should be bubbling, golden brown. Remove from muffin tray and serve warm with Masala Chili Ketchup or sauce of your choice.

Yields: 12 Tarts in a standard muffin tray

The tart was tasty and the addition of carrots, onions, cilantro gave strength to the neutral tofu. Definitely worthy of a brunch party addition. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

The end result: Source: My own creation

If you do not like cheese you don't have to add it. I think the tarts are pretty tasty without the cheese. If you like more heat, increase the green chilies.