- Sara's weeknight meals is made possible by Sunsweet and by... - Cooking is the first kind of love you know.

We were starting when I was child and with my grandmother doing fresh pasta, and now I transmitted to all the guests is something made specially for them - Oceana cruises, proud sponsor of Sara's weeknight meals.

[Inspiring music] - Zwilling, makers of fresh and save the vacuum food storage system.

One of the ways Zwilling has been helping cooks do it all in the kitchen for 209 years.

The Zwilling family of cookware is proud to support Sara's weeknight meals.

[Soft Music] - There's a big move to promote meatless Mondays these days.

Now eating vegetarian is not only good for your health, It's also good for your wallet and it's fantastic for the planet.

And if you tend to think vegetarian food is boring, you've got to try the flavor bomb that vegan chef Adam Sobel cooks up in my kitchen.

Perfect for weeknight meal and they're vegan.

All right.

- I didn't always think of free lunch out of this deal.

It's good - Another vegetarian dish with a boring reputation gets a make-over today.

I'm talking about spaghetti squash and I've got a fast way to cook it.

15 minutes from start to finish.

Then we'll concentrate the flavors and spruce it up with some delicious sauce.

I love sauce.

I'm a saucy girl.

As they say on TV, but wait, there's more.

I'll share an epiphany I had about traditional savory potstickers And then one day I was like, oh, how about putting some fruit in there?

And boom, the fruit potsticker was born filled with dried plums and apricots fried till it's crispy drizzled with raspberry sauce, topped with vanilla yogurt.

Oh my!

Mmm mmm!

Stick around!

It's all coming up today on Sara's weeknight meals.

Adam Sobel had a wildly popular vegan food truck for years, and now his delicious vegan bites can be found online.

- People who like puppies you'll come to our food and you're going to love to eat our food.

I think people, people come to us because they love our food, but they also come to us because like we brighten up their diet and it's fun for them.

And you know, like we kind of fall in love with each other where we fall in love with our customers and they fall in love with us.

I think it's partially because like running a business, isn't like the whole point of what we do, you know?

Like it's important.

Like we have to pay our bills and we have to pay our employees.

So we have to be out making money, but it's not like our primary purpose.

You know like, We don't like we're out in the world because we really want to change the world.

[Upbeat music] - Hi, I'm so excited to have you here.

- I'm so excited to be here.

- I mean, after I ate at your truck, I just, I'm so much more excited about vegan food in general.

So tell us what we're making first.

- All right.

So we're going to make Korean barbecue tofu tacos.

- And so we start with the tofu.

- Yeah We're going to start with getting our tofu, marinated and baked.

- Okay.

So we need to take it out of the package clearly.

And that's firm tofu?

- This is an extra firm tofu that will really bake up into a nice texture for us.

- So we need it.

Cause we need the texture.

I'm going to talk about tofu in a minute too, but I want to see what you're up to.

So we slice it.

- Mm hmm, just kind of into little thin strips like this.

- I have to say the really silly, obvious thing for people out there who don't know what tofu is.

It's dried soaked, cooked pressed soybeans, essentially.

Okay.

So what is our maranon?

Or marinade.

- I use a gochugan, which is a Korean chili paste.

Essentially.

It's got a nice sweetness because it's made with fermented rice flour in it.

- Okay.

And that's two tablespoons, roughly.

I know you don't measure.

Do you even measure on the truck?

- We do measure everything.

Cause we make things in such huge batches on the truck - and then Maple syrup.

- Oh yeah Yeah.

Nice little - Why maple syrup?

- It just brings out a nice sweetness in this kind of chili.

- And it balances the heat in there.

Yes.

Sugar and chilies.

Okay.

That was two tablespoons.

Okay.

- And then here's a few tablespoons of Sesame oil toasted Sesame oil.

- About three tablespoons.

Wow.

Okay.

So that's the marinade.

So it's going to make it sort of sweet and spicy at the same time.

So we're going to put this on there and just brush it?

- I'm going to brush a little bit on the tray first.

So it doesn't stick on there.

- Kind of like finger painting.

So let me tell you about a little trick I have.

- Great!

- It's how to save leftover tofu.

You freeze it.

And what you do is you freeze it in resealable bags and then when you defrost it, it has a texture that is much more absorbent of sauces.

Have you ever done that?

- Yeah.

What happens is the, as the tofu freezes the water crystallizes within it and kind of breaks apart all the protein and makes it really absorb a lot more marinade.

- So its actually a good thing.

- Yeah.

- And so this is going to go in a 400 degree oven for about 15.

- Yeah 15 To 18 minutes.

- All right, I'm going to pop this in the top oven And do you want to grab our napa cabbage?

- Sure!

- I am so excited because we are going to make kimchi.

There you go, guys.

Okay.

- So basically the principle components of a normal kimchi are napa cabbage, daikon radish.

- You want me to peel it right?

- Sure.

Yeah.

- Daikon, okay - And, and just regular red radishes.

- Okay So you're going to chop that up more using Napa because that's, what's usually used.

- Yeah The American style cabbage is a little bit too rough.

You know, this is such a nice, delicate, tender type of cabbage.

And it, as it ferments, it really becomes just this beautiful, soft condiment - Now your food truck you started in Hoboken.

Is that correct?

- That's right I started it on Valentine's day of 2010.

I started the truck and now we operated in New York city.

- That's where I tasted it.

- Uh Huh?

- That's what it was like, convinced me, like we have to have that man on the show because if vegan food could be this good.

Everybody needs to know about it.

Yeah.

Now this is a lifetime supply we're making here.

- So kimchi is a traditional Korean way of, of saving vegetables basically.

And in doing so the vegetables ferment and become more nutritious and the flavors get really pungent and intense.

So if you make a big batch, it's something that sticks around and stays good.

- And you've got it for a long time.

- You know for months - Yeah.

That's great.

So I've got here.

What is this four cups of water?

And I'm going to add a half a cup of kosher salt and I'm going to stir it until it's dissolved.

All right.

So that all goes in there and we toss it up a little bit and then you leave it for how long to sort of just - You want leave this out for four or five hours just to brine like that - Here I want to show you want to pull up the one that's been - Sure.So this one's been been sitting now for five hours and we've, we've already rinsed it.

- Okay So now.

- Let's make our paste here so I'll get on this onion.

- Okay.

And you need me to chop up some ginger and this all just goes into the food processor.

- You don't need to be crazy about chopping it super fine because it's all going to get ground up in there.

- And the garlic just goes and whole three cloves.

So one small onion, three cloves of garlic, about a one inch piece of ginger.

- And then The real secret to it is the Korean ground chilis is it really has a nice kind of just bold flavor.

- We're going to put what a quarter cup?

- A third Of a cup.

- Third of a cup.

- You're going to use two teaspoons of evaporated cane juice.

- A teaspoon of salt.

- Yep.

- Okay.

So pulse or go?

- Just go with it.

- Let it rip.

I'm going to let you add the water.

Should we take a look?

- Yup.

- I've got a rubber scraper right here.

Oh, that looks pretty good.

Don't you think?

- Yeah that does look pretty good - All right so I think we can.

It's a go.

Okay.

So we're going to toss this with a mixture.

You know what I don't think we really need to because whoever does, it's going to have red hands, but you really massage this in is that.

- Really massage it into the veggies.

- And then you refrigerate it and this is how beautiful it looks.

- Right.

So you let it ripen for about a week in the refrigerator afterwards, and then you can let it continue ripening in their even for a month or so.

Because its going to stay good.

- That's so Great.

I'm going to start, I'm going to start making my own kimchi.

You just turned me around.

Okay.

So let me just make a little room here.

Come on down, - Great I'll check on our tofu.

- Oh yeah!

Let's see what that looks like.

- All right.

So let's assemble these.

You want to grab some arugula for us?

- Oh yes!

- Yeah, I love the little bite that arugula has and really freshens things up.

- Yes, I agree.

So we're going to heat these guys over at open burner, huh?

- Yeah just to kind of put grill marks on them and soften the tortillas - Do you want it on on high or?

- Yeah.

Put it right on high.

- You're a brave man.

Use tongs.

So I know you don't, don't try this at home.

Do not stick your hand in the fire.

- So what did you do?

- Singed up brown marks on it.

That's ideal.

- Okay.

So first.

- All right.

So first let's spread some of this sriracha Mayo that's made with vegan mayonnaise.

Nice healthy pile of arugula.

Some of our kimchi This is our tofu.

- It's very pretty too.

Isn't it?

- Yeah.

It's a nice colors.

And then just top it off with some of the scallions - Oh god this is spectacular!

- Toasted Sesame seeds.

- So did we put the hot stuff in or no.

- That's up to you.

I really like.

- I like it!

I like hot stuff - If you're down.

- Okay, here we go.

Before I do this, because I'm going to be chewing in just a minute.

Thank you so much for our Korean barbecue tacos.

I can't wait to taste them perfect for weeknight meal - Yeah super fast - And they're vegan.

Yum!

All right.

- I didn't know I was going to get free lunch out of this too.

[Soft music] - Sometimes you're looking for an alternative to pasta.

Maybe you want to be gluten free or need to be gluten-free.

Maybe you're trying to cut out the carbs.

Well, I have a perfect solution.

Spaghetti squash.

It's so named because when you cook it and you go to scrape out the flesh, it comes out in strands like spaghetti.

So today I'm going to make a "pasta" dish it's spaghetti squash and zucchini, its a double squash production with a creamy goat cheese sauce.

I'm going to start with the zucchini.

I graded it using the grating disc of a food processor, but you could certainly use the core side of a fourside grater.

I prefer not to.

I think it's a lethal weapon.

A little bit of you goes into every dish.

I used to hate zucchini, but then I discovered that if you salted it and I'm adding three quarters of a teaspoon of salt to this, and then you let it drain, you got rid of all that excess water in there.

Wow.

It was really pretty darn tasty.

I've got this in a colander set over a bowl.

We're going to let it drain for about 20 minutes.

10 would be fine, but 20 is better.

And we're just going to let it sit over there while that's draining.

I'm going to get the onions going.

I've got two tablespoons of olive oil, good stuff.

I've got a cup and a half of onions here that I thinly sliced, tiny pinch of salt.

You need to season as you go.

Don't wait until the end.

Okay.

These are going to take, I don't know, 8, 10 minutes.

We're looking for them to first soften and then get a little brown.

Okay.

And here is the star of the show spaghetti squash.

It's a hard skin squash that's available all year long.

Although predominantly more in the fall.

It's a little bit bland, but that's okay.

So most people, when they cook a spaghetti squash, cut it in half this way and then put it cut side down in a pan and roasted in the oven.

However, it takes an hour.

I prefer instead to do the quick microwave method takes 15 minutes from start to finish.

So we start with our raw squash.

You still need to prick it several times about three or four times because when it goes in the microwave, we want to make sure some steam can come out and we're going to pop it in and give it five minutes on high.

I take it out of the microwave.

I slice it in half crosswise, very important.

And then I pop it back in for another five minutes.

Now I take it out and it's soft enough that I can scoop out all the seeds.

It's so much easier to wait till it's partially cooked to do this than to do it in the beginning.

I'm going to pop it back in the microwave for another five minutes after I've removed the seeds, okay these are ready to scoop.

After just 15 minutes, you just use a fork and you pull from the sides and the strands will come out.

And now you're going to see why I cut it crosswise.

Instead of lengthwise, when you do it, lengthwise, you end up with short little strands.

And when you do it crosswise like that, you end up with really long ones.

And just look at that.

Look at how beautiful that is.

Okay.

I'm going to squeeze the zucchini to get out even more liquid.

You'll be astonished at how much comes out.

We're concentrating the flavor of the zucchini.

Okay Before I clear this, I just want to show you how much liquid came out of that zucchini.

Isn't that wild?

My onions are perfect.

They're soft and sizzely.

Now I'm going to add my squozzen zucchini right in there and just stir it quickly.

Cook it for three minutes.

We're just trying to soften it a bit because it's such a thin, thin little pieces of zucchini Doesn't take any time at all to cook and it's going to cook further in the cream sauce.

Let me tell you how to chiffonade a flat herbs.

Like sage.

You stack them on top of each other, like a deck of cards, and then you roll them up like a cigar, very tight.

Then you cross cut, slice it to get it into tiny shreds.

And you can give it a few more chops, but that's it.

It will be very fine and good to go.

Okay, let's get this out of the pan into the same bowl that we used before.

We're trying to keep the dishes down to a dull roar.

I want that zucchini to keep the green color while the spaghetti squash cooks some more Okay.

Park this over here.

Now for my sauce in the same pan, I had the zucchini and onions.

I'm going to add two cups of vegetable broth.

You could add chicken stock if you want.

If you don't need it to be vegetarian, I'm going to also add four ounces of fresh goat cheese, not the aged kind.

You can use light cream cheese, if you want.

Instead, let me get the sage in there too.

Essentially, as this reduces, it's going to thicken from the cheese.

Now that it's all melted and creamy, I'm going to put the spaghetti squash in with the sauce and simmer it covered for about five minutes or until the squash gets even more tender.

And we talked briefly about the flavor of spaghetti squash.

I'll admit it's bland, but then again, so is pasta.

I love sauce.

And it's a terrific absorber of sauce.

Just the way pasta is.

Even the husband loved this, even though this is a vegetarian dish, while that's cooking, I'm going to grate some parmigiano reggiano with the microplane.

I need about one ounce, a little goes a long way.

All right, I'm going to take a peek.

Oh yes.

That's looking delicious.

I like my pasta saucy.

So now that it's ready, I'm going to put the zucchini back in And my graded parm, one ounce.

Oh, I wish you could smell this.

It smells so, so good.

Okay.

So here we go.

I'm going to use a spoon so I can get a little bit of the sauce That's in the pan.

As I mentioned, I'm a saucy girl.

Yes, I am.

I like my sauce.

Now we're not quite done.

We have two garnishes.

One is a little more parmigiano reggiano, fresh on top and a few toasted pine nuts.

Walnuts would be lovely too.

So there you go.

My vegetarian very quick spaghetti squash, weeknight pasta.

[Funky music] - I've been cooking with wonton wrappers for years.

Wonton wrappers are square, fresh pasta that are used in Chinese cuisine.

So I've made potstickers, which are traditionally savory stuffed with vegetables or pork or shrimp.

And then one day I was like, oh, how about putting some fruit in there?

I think that would work beautifully.

So today I've got dried apricots and dried plums.

AKA prunes.

Now apricots are not all that sticky, but prunes are so you can just brush your knife with a little bit of neutral oil.

And then it's so much easier to cut these in half.

Everybody associates them with digestive health.

And yeah, they're very good at that, but they're good for so many other reasons, including for women, research says that eating five to six prunes a day may help bone health.

They bring both of little touch of sweetness and also some acid plus great depth of flavor.

Okay.

Now I'm going to talk about wonton wrappers.

I've got them covered the way I covered them when I'm working with them, which is with a damp paper towel and then some plastic wrap because they dry out quickly.

And I'm only going to work with a few at a time, I start by wetting all four corners, I'm using my finger.

This is just water.

And then we're going to stuff them.

And I'm going to put two of each half's in the middle of each wonton wrapper.

So you can make them ahead of time just like this, and then keep them covered with a damp paper towel and plastic wrap you know, maybe even overnight.

So I'm going to transfer these to a half sheet pan or a small sheet pan That's got parchment on it and been dusted with a little bit of corn starch.

So they don't stick.

I'm going to make some more.

I need six for our purposes today, a full recipe will make 12.

[Upbeat music] Let's get these guys cooking.

I've started to preheat my pan.

It's a non-stick pan, which is best for this or a stick resistant.

Try to use one of the non-toxic varieties.

I'm going to put in a little bit of vegetable oil.

I like grape seed actually as a high smoke point and a little bit of butter, you could do all the oil.

I like a little bit of butter in there just for the flavor.

We're going to let this melt completely.

I'm going to get these guys in.

Yes.

You want to hear that sound when they go in, while these cook away.

Let me tell you the story of how the potsticker got its name.

This story comes via my friend Martin Yan way back in the Imperial days.

When the chef was cooking for the emperor, he was making dumplings and he sort of forgot what he was doing and wasn't paying attention.

And they got very dark on the bottom, but he took him to the emperor expecting fully the emperor would say off with his head.

And instead the emperor said, these are really good.

What do you call them?

So the very crafty chef came up with potstickers.

See?

Oh yeah, that's a pretty darn good.

When you add the water, it's about a quarter of a cup.

You need to have a lid handy and watch out.

Cause obviously it's going to sputter.

We're adding water to hot fat.

So I'm going to let these steam for about six to eight minutes or until they're translucent.

We're going to make a quick sauce with Greek yogurt.

And we're going to add just a tiny bit of sugar.

This is, you'll see, this is a very low sugar dish.

We're going to add a half a teaspoon.

That's all of sugar and a half to teaspoon of vanilla extract, the real McCoy.

So there we go.

And that's it for our very complicated sauce.

And then I've made a raspberry sauce, fresh raspberry sauce.

You can use a store-bought one and we'll see how our potstickers are doing.

What we're looking for is to be able to see through the wonton wrapper.

That means that the pasta is cooked.

The wonton is cooked and you can see the fruit through it.

Yes.

You see, you can see the apricots right there.

Yeah.

Now we're going to crank this up and give it some heat so we can really crisp them.

Okay.

You hear that noise.

It's like most of the water's evaporated.

It's beginning to sputter.

I'm going to take a look at the bottoms, but I feel very sure that these are ready to go.

Yes, there we have it.

See how beautifully crispy that is.

I'm going to put some raspberry sauce on the bottom to begin with.

And a portion here is, three of my pot stickers.

So pretend you get your inner Jackson Pollack going on here.

We're going to put more on top cause it's nice to have a little more of the raspberry sauce and we'll put 1, 2, 3, I turned off the heat and then we must drizzle a little bit more on top.

Wow.

And a little dollop of our Greek yogurt and finally A sprig of mint.

So I made this at home for my husband to test out the recipe.

What did he do?

He ate the mint and his comment was, wow.

I just love that potsticker with the mint.

So it made me rethink how to serve this recipe.

And I think that every potsticker must have a little piece of mint.

So there you have it.

My dried apricots and dried plump fruits potstickers Wow That looks pretty beautiful If I do say so myself, let's taste it.

[Upbeat Acoustic Guitar] Thank you so much for joining me today.

I'm Sarah Moulton and I look forward to seeing you next time on Sara's weeknight meals.

Mmmm mmmm wow!

For recipes, videos, and more go to our website.

Sarah moulton.com.

Sara's weeknight meals is made possible by Sunsweet and by - Cooking is the first kind of love.

You know, it was starting when I was child and with my grandmother doing fresh pasta.

And now I transmitted to all the guests is something made specially for them.

- Oceana cruises, proud sponsor of Sarah's weeknight meals.

[Inspiring music] - Zwilling makers of fresh and save The vacuum food storage system.

One of the ways zwilling has been helping cooks do it all in the kitchen for 290 years.

The Zwilling family of cookware is proud to support Sara's weeknight meals.

[Soft Piano Music]