Another Year, Another Adventure

Between welcome week, classes starting, rush and adjusting to junior year, I'll admit I've been slow to writing a post.

In order to celebrate being back in Ann Arbor, Julie, Sam and I decided that Seva was appropriate for the occasion. Although I've written about Seva before, I knew that one post would not be enough to give this restaurant the much needed attention it deserves.

A vegan and vegetarian's delight, Seva's food is so good that it can convince any meat-eater to put aside their carnivorous cravings for the evening. Every time the three of us go, we always say that we'll venture outside of our regular orders and explore the other delicious looking options on the menu...and every time we give into old (but good) habits and order the classic dishes we love most.

Here's some of our favorites:

ENSALADA

[romaine, tempeh, corn-cilantro-lime salsa, cheddar jack cheese

guacamole, sour cream, pepitas, corn tortilla strips]

CILANTRO PEANUT STIR-FRY

[broccoli, red & yellow peppers, mushrooms, mung sprouts, green onions, carrots, brown rice, roasted peanuts, cilantro-peanut-ginger-lime sauce]

RENNIE'S PEANUT KALE SALAD

[hearty kale, carrots, butternut squash, red peppers, peanut-cider marinade]

Cost? Most dishes range between $10-15 dollars and are very filling - you won't be missing the meat. If you want a heartier meal, I'd suggest adding a tempeh patty for an additional $4, it's worth the cost.

Atmosphere? My true favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor - a hip, relaxed crowd that never falls short of any expectation.

Best dish? See our favorites above, I'll let you be the judge.

Seva
314 E. Liberty Street, Ann Arbor MI

And to top off our delicious and satisfying meal, we caught a ride home on The Conference Bike - a red circular apparatus that has seating for six and a round handlebar in the middle, with one man steering. The owner hangs out by the restaurant, Mani, right down the street from Seva. For $5 per rider, this bike is worth every penny - just make sure to have a camera on hand.

Food on Wheels, Chapter 2 [DC Summer]

To continue this summer's Food Truck adventures, I met Julian, Faith and a few of Julian's co-workers for lunch last Friday and decided to try out the Kimchi-BBQ Taco truck. Although Kimchi had one of the longer lines in Franklin Square that afternoon, it was well worth the wait. 

Here's what I went for...

Spicy Chicken Kogi (BBQ) Box with white rice, salad and vegetable dumplings.

The rice and salad were nothing out of the ordinary - but it was KimchiBBQ's spicy chicken that made this meal particularly memorable. The chicken was packed with deep flavors, a mild spice and was extremely tender. Complimented by crisp, fresh dumplings, this BBQ box really hit the spot.

If you're not in the mood for one of their BBQ boxes, I'd suggest trying out one of their Burritos, filled with your choice of Kogi (Pork, Short Rib, Beef or Chicken), Kimchi and rice. Or opt for their three taco deal and choose between three of KimchiBBQ's delicious homemade tacos.

Most meals range between $8-10, an incredibly reasonable deal for the amount of and quality of food you're getting. Another great food truck to add to this growing list of DC eats.

 

Follow on KimchiBBQ on Twitter @KimchiBBQ to see where they are located today!

Easy Asian Cuisine from our DC Kitchen [DC Summer]

Now that the DC "summer" has officially started and consistent 100 degree days are in full-swing, the only suitable way to end a long work day is by relaxing in an air-conditioned apartment. Still determined to live on a college, working budget, Stef, Laura and I decided that even on the hottest of days it was necessary to cook in.

We came up with a quick and easy meal that helped to clear out our fridge and was one of our best meals yet. Although this Asian inspired meal was meatless, you can replace the main protein, tempeh, with chicken or beef and it will be equally as easy to prepare.

Here's the ingredients we used...

-Frozen vegetable dumplings (we liked Trader Joe's)

-Brown Rice Pad Thai Noodles

-Broccoli Stirfry Mix

-Pre-sliced baby bella mushrooms

-Soy Tempeh (tempeh will be packaged in a long strip)

-Soy Sauce

-Soy Ginger Sauce

And here's what we made...

Asian Noodle Stirfy

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot. Add noodles.
2. While noodles are cooking, heat 1 tbsp. of canola or sesame oil in a large sauce pan. Add stirfry mix and mushrooms. When vegetables are almost cooked through (they will be soft and beginning to brown), add 2-3tbsp. soy sauce. Mix well.
3. ***Before draining the noodles, set aside 1/4 cup of pasta water*** After draining the noodles, add the pasta water back into the pot of noodles. The starch water will help to break up the noodles so they don't stick together of become gummy.
4. Add noodles into pan with vegetables and add 2 tbsp. of soy ginger sauce and 2 tbsp. of soy sauce. Stir until sauces, vegetables and noodles are mixed thoroughly.

Soy Tempeh

1. Slice tempeh into 1/2" wide cubes.
2. Add tempeh to frying pan with 2-3 tbsp. of soy sauce and allow to cook until tempeh has turned dark brown and is beginning to char. If tempeh is not cooked through, it will be flavorless.

Vegetable Dumplings

1. Place dumplings in frying pan with 5 tbsp. of water. Cover and allow to steam until heated through.

These recipes are quick, easy and will satisfy both your hunger and your budget. Enjoy!
 
What's tempeh? Tempeh is a fermented soybean cake used as a protein. A more flavorful and more filling alternative to tofu.... And this place prepares the best tempeh I've ever had.

A Fast Fajita Fit for a Large Crowd [DC Summer]

Entertaining a large crowd on a small budget and an even smaller kitchen always poses a challenge. To inaugurate our first Sunday in DC, our DC crew decided to that the only appropriate thing to do was to invite over friends - both new and old - and enjoy a home cooked meal. 

We settled on a cheap, quick and easy Mexican themed meal that consisted of ingredients you can find in any grocery store. Start with the basics - pre-cooked chicken, frozen peppers and onions, and tortillas - and add in any of your favorites - guac, fajita seasoning, and a variety of salsas - and you've got yourself a delicious meal ready for a crowd of any size. 

The ingredients and serving sizes are for a group of 10, so feel free to add more or less depending on the size of your group.

Here are the basics:

Quick and Easy Chicken Fajitas


Ingredients: 
-2 Bags of Frozen, Pre-Cooked Chicken Breasts
-Olive Oil
-1 Package of Fajita Seasoning (any brand works)


Preparation:
1. Defrost the chicken breasts in the microwave until soft, not hot. Slice chicken into 1/2" strips.
2. Heat 2 tbsp. (per batch) of olive oil in a large pan, add 1 tbsp. fajita seasoning per 2 tbsp. of olive oil.
3. Add chicken into pan with oil and seasoning and heat until chicken is hot. Set aside.


Peppers and Onions
Ingredients:
-1 bag of frozen peppers and onions
-1 Package of Fajita Seasoning (there will most likely be enough in one package for the chicken and peppers)
-Olive Oil

Preparation:
1. Heat 2 tbsp Olive oil and 1 tsbp. of fajita seasoning in large pan.
2. Add frozen peppers and onions. Drain halfway through cooking. Continue to cook until peppers and onions are lightly browned.Set aside.


To build your fajita, add some chicken, peppers and onions, and any topping of your choice (salsa, guac, lettuce, cheese or sour cream) to a warm flour tortilla.


For our sides we had fresh salsa, homemade guac, homemade mango salsa, and crispy corn tortilla chips and all together, the meal cost about $10/person when factoring in all of the additions and fresh side ingredients.

These easy chicken fajitas are a healthy, cheap, and fun way to get a group of friends (and strangers) together over a great meal. Enjoy!

One-Pan Lo-Mein Noodles

With my return to Ann Arbor rapidly approaching, I decided that it would be most appropriate to provide UMFD readers with a delicious and healthy recipe that will suit any college student’s cooking abilities and budget. I love making this dish because it can be made in many different variations and still turn out tasting incredible. This recipe is fool proof, especially since it enables you to use any proteins, vegetables and pasta that you have lying around.

Here’s what you’ll need:

-3 tbsp. canola oil

-1 lb. chicken or beef, cubed into 1/2” pieces

-3 cups of finely chopped vegetables (I prefer using peppers, broccoli, onions and shredded carrots)

-1 cup pre-cooked lo-mein noodles or spaghetti noodles

-2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

-3 tbsp. Soy Vey ® Hoisin Garlic (any other hoisin, sesame or teriyaki sauce will work)

-1 tbsp. sesame seeds (optional)

Preparation:

Meat:

1.     Heat 2 tbsp. canola oil in a wok or large saucepan. Once oil is hot, add cubed chicken or beef.

2.     When the chicken or beef has almost finished cooking, add 2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce and mix.

3.     Once chicken or beef has cooked through, place in a separate bowl and drain the remaining contents of the pan.

Vegetables:

1.     Heat 1 tbsp. of canola oil in the same pan used to cook the meat. Once oil is hot, add chopped vegetables.

2.     Stir vegetables frequently to ensure even cooking and prevent burning.

Final Step:

3.     Once vegetables are soft, add in pre-cooked noodles and meat.

4.     Add 3 tbsp of Soy Vey ® Hoisin Garlic and stir through the mixture.

5.     Remove from heat and place noodles into bowl.

6.     Top with sesame seeds and enjoy!

Note: You can use any type of meat you would like for this dish, however, I would advise sticking with chicken or beef, or for vegetarians, tofu. Additionally, you can use either fresh or frozen vegetables, however, fresh vegetables will yield a better final product.

More quick, healthy and college-friendly recipes to come soon!

Saturdays with an added spice

University meets food diversity has been a long time in the making and I thought, what better way to start off this adventure than by documenting my first real college cooking experience?

Spicy Mexican Chicken Stir fry was not the original plan for Saturday night’s dinner. My friend Jorge and I bought the ingredients intending to have an Asian themed dinner, but when you’re cooking in a Latino household and spices and chilies are easier to find than soy sauce, sometimes it’s necessary to have a Plan B. Using ingredients found around his house, we were able to put together a cheap, quick and absolutely delicious dinner that anyone can make.

Enjoy!

Spicy Mexican Chicken Stir fry

When Mexican meets American.

Feeds 4-5 hungry students

Ingredients:

-2 lbs boneless white meat chicken breasts

-2 large bell peppers (red, orange, green or yellow work)

-8 scallions (approx. 2 heads)

-1/2 dry roasted peanuts

-1 7oz can of El Pato Tomato Sauce (Mexican hot style)

-2 tbsp olive oil

-2 tsp garlic salt (optional)

-Salt and pepper to taste

Prep:

1. Cut chicken breast width side into ½ inch thick strips, set aside. After, thoroughly wash hands and do not reuse cutting board.

2. Slice peppers into ½ inch thick strips (approximately same size as chicken strips). Set aside in bowl.

3. Chop scallions into small pieces, using the entire length of the scallion. Set aside in bowl with peppers and peanuts.

4. Halve and chop dry roasted peanuts. Set aside in bowl.

Cooking:

1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Once oil is heated, add chicken to pan and stir often.

2. Once chicken starts to brown, add peppers, peanuts and scallions. Sautees for 1 minute or until peppers begin to soften.

3. Stir in 1 can of El Pato Tomato Sauce and garlic salt (optional) and reduce heat to low.

4. Cover and allow pan to sit over low heat for 5-7 minutes, this allows the chicken and vegetables to absorb the sauce and become more tender.

5. Remove pan from heat, uncover and salt and pepper to taste.

6. Serve over rice, pasta or plain and eat up!

Calories per serving:

292 calories per serving

Cost per serving:

About $4

Money saving tip:

Items such as white meat chicken are usually cheaper to buy in bulk, so if you buy more than two pounds, wrap each individual breast in saran wrap, bag it and freeze for later.