Tag Archives: tofu

Sriracha Tofu

Posted on December 17, 2012 | 2 comments

Tofu glazed srirachaBorn from boredom as most delicious things are.

Are you ready for the recipe?

Smoking hot pan. Canola and sesame oil splashes. Drop cubed and pressed tofu into pan. Brown on all sides. Toss in one turn of mirin cook till evaporates. Toss in two turns of tamari and one inch of chopped ginger. Cook till tamari evaporates. Add as much Sriracha as you can tolerate cook one more minute and remove from heat.

This photo has wilted kale underneath that was just kale and about a teaspoon of evoo cooked together till wilted-toss in some garlic if you are feelin’ feisty.

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Posted in Fall Food, Fridge Finds, Less is more, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Broccoli Peanut Sweet and Sour Tofu

Posted on July 5, 2012 | Leave a comment

I love the writing and photography skills of LoLo over at Vegan Num Num, but every single recipe I had made of hers up until this point just didn’t hit the mark.  That is, until I made this one.

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The possibilities of substitutions to formulate different stir-fries or other lush take-out tastes from this “mother recipe” is really mind blowing.  With this base sauce, choose any plant-based protein really, any veg or veggies, any kind of roasted nut you might have in the cupboard, and serve over any grain you have on hand to create a dish that seems like take out, but is so much more fresh than that neighborhood Thai/Chinese place.

Serves Two

  • 1 tub extra firm tofu, pressed
  • 2 tsp Ener-g Egg Replacer + 4 tsp water, mixed (vegetarians go ahead and use 2 egg whites and 4 tsp of water for the egg wash)
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4-1 C peanut or canola oil (depending on your pan size, you want it about half way up the side of the frying pan you have chosen)
  • 1 head of broccoli (or about 2-3 cups worth)
  • 3 T roasted, lightly salted peanuts, chopped (for topping)
  • sesame seeds for garnish (I didn’t have these but they would be delicious)

Sauce

  • 3 1/2 T Seasoned Rice Vinegar (you can eyeball the 1/2 Tbs)
  • 1/4 C water
  • 2 T + 2 tsp sugar (white or brown would be fine too)
  • 2 T tamari
  • 1 T Sambal
  • 2 tsp ketchup
  • 1 tsp molasses
  • 1/4 tsp ginger powder (double this if you use fresh grated ginger)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 T cornstarch + 2 T water

Prep:  if you are going to serve this recipe over a grain, start it well in advance.  This recipe comes together super fast, like it will be done faster than the water boils for your rice.  Clean and cut broccoli into bite sized pieces and steam until al dente.  Set aside.  I prefer crunchy to soggy broccoli any day.

Slice the tofu into triangles or small cubes. Smaller = better for this recipe, since smaller pieces won’t have a tendency to break when you toss them, and they have a bigger surface area to volume ratio.  You are looking for maximum frying surface value.

Toss tofu with the egg replacer/water mixture until coated. Then toss in cornstarch until each piece is coated and dry, adding more cornstarch if needed.  Be sure to gently tap to rid yourself of extra cornstarch.

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok.

While oil is heating, mix sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch/water into a small sauce pan and whisk over medium heat until sugar and salt is dissolved. Add cornstarch mixture and whisk until the sauce thickens. If you leave the sauce unattended now it will thicken and burn, so keep an eye on it. When thick, turn off heat and set aside.  Gently fold your broccoli into this sauce concoction.

Place tofu in the hot oil, being careful not to burn yourself. You don’t want the tofu to be crowded or the pieces will stick to each other, so fry it in batches if needed. Fry for 3-5 minutes until golden on the bottom, then gently turn and brown the other side.  Remove from oil and place on dry paper towels to rid yourself of the extra oil, you don’t want them to become soggy while waiting for the rest of the parts to come together.

To assemble take broccoli/sauce mix and spoon over the crispy tofu, sprinkle peanuts and/or sesame seeds over top.  Serve immediately, you want that tofu crisp people!

Normally I’d serve over brown rice, but I didn’t heed my own tip at the beginning and started my rice too late for it to participate in this meal.  It was still however, amazing.

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Vegan Num Num Bowl

Posted on May 31, 2012 | 2 comments

I really, really wanted this to be mind blowing.  Sadly it wasn’t.  I don’t even have any witty commentary to present about this recipe.  If you should choose to make it.  Fix it up a bit.  As is, Vegan Num Num Bowl is actually, yuck yuck.  Sometimes recipes fail to meet expectations.  This is one of those recipes.

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1 Block Extra Firm Tofu, pressed, cut into small squares
1 tbs Canola or Peanut Oil
2 tsp Soy Sauce
2 tsp Mirin
Broccoli, steamed
1 Carrot, peeled and shredded
Peanuts, crushed (optional)
1 Cup Dry Brown Rice

Peanut Dressing
1/4 Cup Peanut Butter
1/4 Cup Water (or coconut milk if you have it!)
1 Tbs Sugar
1 Tbs Soy Sauce
1 Tbs Seasoned Rice Vinegar
1 tsp Hot Chili Oil
1 Pinch Salt

Start cooking your rice. Mix sauce ingredients until smooth (be patient, it’ll look like hell at first) and set aside.

Pan fry tofu in the oil over high heat in a non-stick skillet until browned on both sides. Drain and return to hot pan (turn off the heat). Mix soy sauce and mirin together and pour over tofu, mixing well. It will bubble up and form a light glaze.

Plate rice, add broccoli, tofu, carrot, and crushed peanuts. Drizzle with sauce and serve.

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Leftovers Pita with Hummus

Posted on March 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

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I’m rather impressed with myself right now.  I made that delicious quinoa bowl  and had lots of leftovers, so I engineered this dinner the very next night, followed by another quick dinner the night after that, stretching the sauces out over three days AND more importantly using them up, instead of wasting them (which in cooking for 2 people I’m prone to do).

This leftovers pita with hummus, takes the Tahini sauce from the quinoa bowl, and whirls it around in a food processor with 1 cup of cooked chickpeas to fatten it up a bit-making hummus.  I added just a pinch of salt and had a spread to use with the leftover bowl materials (kale, red onion, chickpeas) and pan fried some tofu in sesame oil to add a little more substance.  Served it on a whole wheat pita that I just warmed in the oven while I fried up the tofu.

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PF Chang’s Ain’t Got Nothin’ on Isa

Posted on January 12, 2012 | Leave a comment

Veg friends rejoice.  This is a meat-eater approved recipe (Christine tell Alex it’s good, like PF Chang’s good).  No one will look at you cross-eyed or make that funny chewing face, like when they hate it but are going to swallow it anyway just to make you feel good.  Take it to a party as an appetizer with some bib lettuce to really impress your friends, then tell them it’s tofu after they inhale it and watch them make another funny face…you know the one of shock when they realize tofu doesn’t suck.

This recipe served three as a main dish with a side of edemame with about 2 wraps to spare just using one block of tofu.

Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin-Mustard Tofu
Adapted from Appetite for Reduction

Tofu

  • 1 block (~14 oz) extra firm tofu, diced in 1/2 inch pieces
  • 2 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce

Sauce

  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced small
  • 1 small onion, diced small
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
  • 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 3 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar (mirin is recommended but I didn’t have it)
  • 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tsp sriracha or sambal if you prefer
  • 2 tsp prepared yellow mustard

To Serve

  • About 12 romaine (bib or iceburg will work too) lettuce leaves
  • Bean sprouts
  • Dry roasted peanuts or cashews
  • Rice noodles (the crunchy kind)

Prepare the tofu: Preheat a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu and cook for about 10 minutes, flipping it once in a while, until it is browned on most sides. About midway through, drizzle with the soy sauce and toss to coat.  I had to add a smidge of peanut oil to this recipe when I flipped the tofu as it was sticking a little.  If you have great patience, and wait it out, it shouldn’t stick.  I do not have patience.  I did however have oil.

Preheat a separate large pan over medium heat with the sesame oil. Saute the red pepper, onion, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 10 minutes. The veggies should be soft and browned. Add the mirin (or rice wine vinegar would work here too) and let cook for about 3 minutes. Add the hoisin, sriracha, and mustard, and cook for another minute.  Omit sriracha if you don’t like spicy food.  In general avoid sriracha if you don’t like spice.

Add the tofu to the sauce and toss to coat. Serve alongside lettuce leaves, to stuff like tacos.  Top with the sprouts and crunchy bits.  Sidenote:  this is a great stir fry and would stand on its own over some brown rice or noodles.

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Curried Tofu and Wilted Arugula Scramble

Posted on January 5, 2012 | 5 comments

I have a mild addiction to the tofu scramble at Marie Catrib’s.  I finally got up the courage to make one at home.  To my surprise, I liked it better at home where I control the oil and tofu consistency.  Here is my adaption of Isa Chandra’s recipe found in her Appetite for Reduction cookbook.

  • 1 tsp canola or olive oil
  • 1 medium red onion, diced finely
  •  4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 T fresh ginger, peeled and diced
  • 1 block extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1/4-1/2 inch dice
  • 2 tsp regular (sweet) curry powder
  • 1 tsp hot curry powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • a few pinches of freshly ground black pepper
  • 2-3 C baby arugula or spinach
  1. Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion in oil for about 4 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic & ginger, saute for 30 seconds. Add tofu to the pan. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the tofu has browned on some of the sides.
  2. Add the curry powder, cumin, salt, pepper, lemon juice & a few splashed of water if it’s too dry. Mix in the arugula. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the arugula is wilted (cover if you want this to go faster).
  3. Taste for spices & add another teaspoon of curry powder if needed. Serve!

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Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner, Fridge Finds, Meat Substitutes, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Independence Day Holiday Weekend = Food Coma

Posted on July 7, 2011 | 2 comments

Hello summer!  Nothing screams 4th of July holiday like making a ton of high-calorie food and carting it all over the city visiting friends, drinking adult beverages, and watching small children play with matches.

Mr. Wonderful and I started off the July 4th Holiday weekend relatively healthy with Yin and Yang Salad with Peanut Dressing from The Real Food Daily Cookbook as and it sorta went downhill from there.

I know it looks like a lot of ingredients, but it’s really just some ingredients used many times…tricky.  Replication of flavors from ginger, garlic and sesame make this dish seem complex and rich, you don’t need to tell anyone you basically had to shop in two aisles, the “ethnic” and produce aisles.

  • 4 cups shredded napa cabbage
  • 1 sleeve soba noodles, cooked al dente, drained and cooled
  • 2 carrots, peeled and julienned
  • 1 (2 1/2-inch) piece daikon radish, peeled and julienned (I used red radish)
  • 10 green onions (white and green parts), julienned
  • 1 cup Peanut-Sesame Dressing (recipe follows)
  • 4 cups 1/2-inch cubes chilled ginger tofu (recipe follows)
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Toss the cabbage, carrots, radish, and green onions in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Mound the salad into 4 wide, shallow bowls or onto plates. Arrange the tofu around the salad. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve.

Serves 4.

Dressing:

  • 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup brown rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons tamari
  • 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves

Ann’s header notes: If you’d like a spicier dressing, just add more crushed red pepper flakes. This thickens up once it’s refrigerated, so you can either add a little water to thin it or leave it thick to use as a sauce on grains and other cooked dishes.

Blend the peanut butter, vinegar, maple syrup, water, tamari, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and crushed red pepper in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Add the cilantro and blend just until it’s finely chopped The dressing will keep for 2 days, covered and refrigerated.

Makes abaut 1 1/4 cups.

Gingered Tofu

  • 2 (12-ounce) containers water-packed extra-flrm tofu
  • 2/3 cup tamari
  • 1/4 cup brown rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • I tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
  • I tablespoon canola oil

Drain the tofu and save the containers. Cut into 1-inch wide strips, and pat dry with paper towels. Cover a large baking sheet with more dry paper towels. Place the tofu in a single layer over the towels on the baking sheet and let drain for 2 hours, changing the paper towels after 1 hour.

Whisk the tamari, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger in a bowl to blend. Pour half of the marinade into the reserved tofu containers. Return the tofu slices to the containers, and pour the remaining marinade over. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat the oven to 400’F. Oil a heavy, rimmcd baking sheet with the canola oil. Drain the tofu and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes on each side until golden brown and heated through. Serve warm or cold, or at room temperature. The tofu will keep for 1 day, covered and refrigerated.

Serves 4 to 6.

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Posted in Fridge Finds, Make Ahead, Meat Substitutes, Recipes, Salad, Vegetarian

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It Ain’t Easy Being Green, Spring Stir Fry

Posted on June 6, 2011 | Leave a comment

Sometimes desperation comes in the form of “I don’t want to go to the grocery store or farmer’s market today.”  And so, this modification of a 101cookbooks.com recipe was born…from the stuff I already had in my fridge and herb garden.

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Green, Spring Stir Fry

  • toasted sesame oil
  • 8 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into slices thick as a pencil
  • 4 green onions, thinly sliced
  • scant 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (peeled)
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 # asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • a couple big pinches of fine-grain sea salt
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • a few handfuls of chopped kale
  • zest and juice of one lemon and one lime
  • 2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
  • 1 small handful fresh mint, slivered
  • 1 small handful fresh basil, slivered

When you are frying, stir-fry, the biggest advantages you can give yourself to combat ending up with a soggy-fry is to have all your ingredients prepped and within arms reach of the stove AND a smoking hot pan ready to dump them in to…sometimes a non-stick wok is not the best for this…but do the best you can with what you have.

Heat a splash of sesame oil in a large pan, or well-seasoned wok over medium high heat. When it is hot, add the tofu, and cook until golden – a few minutes. Remove the tofu from the pan and set aside.

Add another (generous) splash of oil to the pan and, as soon as it is hot, add the onions, ginger, red pepper flakes, asparagus, and salt. Stir fry for about a minute, then add the garlic, kale and stir-fry for another minute, or until the spinach wilts. Return the tofu to the pan. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and the Hoisin sauce. Cook for another 10-20 seconds, stirring all the while.  Serve immediately.  My favorite way to serve this is over cold Soba noodles.

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Yuck-su

Posted on June 2, 2011 | Leave a comment

I’d like to open my birth month, June, with a recipe #fail.  Otsu…which is now Yuck-su to me.

This is the first recipe from 101cookbooks.com that I have loathed.  Hated it. Can’t stand it.  Won’t make it again.  I think I have made nearly every recipe Heidi Swanson has posted on her delightful website.  It’s my “go-to” site.  It’s the site that I direct people to when they are like, “you can’t eat anything good if you are a vegetarian” and it sucks them in every…single…time.  I dare you not to like Heidi OR her website 101cookbooks.com.  This recipe however, for me, didn’t suck me in.  It.  Just.  Sucked.  From the surface it looks like something I would eat myself into a food coma by; however, I felt it lacked a certain freshness I was expecting from the sauce.  It just tasted salty to me and sorta, I don’t know, blah.  The cucumber was a strange random addition at the end.  I’m posting this because I think with a few additions or subtractions even, this might be a great dish…so go out there and tweak it to suit your tastes.  Sorry Heidi, this one failed for me.  I still love ya, but this one is getting black listed from my repeat list.

Yuck-su

  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • Fresh ginger, cut into a 1-inch cube, peeled, and grated
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 3/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup unseasoned brown-rice vinegar
  • 1/3 cup shoyu sauce (wheat-free soy sauce)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 12 ounces dried soba noodles
  • 12 ounces extra-firm nigari tofu
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cucumber, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced
  • 1 small handful of cilantro sprigs, for garnish
  • 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Make the dressing by combining the zest, ginger, honey, cayenne, and salt in a food processor (or use a hand blender) and process until smooth. Add the lemon juice, rice vinegar, and shoyu, and pulse to combine. With the machine running, drizzle in the oils.

Cook the soba in plenty of rapidly boiling salted water just until tender, then drain and rinse under cold running water.

While the pasta is cooking, drain the tofu, pat it dry, and cut it into rectangles roughly the size of your thumb (½ inch thick and 1 inch long). Cook the tofu in a dry nonstick (or well-seasoned) skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes, until the pieces are browned on one side. Toss gently once or twice, then continue cooking for another minute or so, until the tofu is firm, golden, and bouncy.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the soba, the ¼ cup cilantro, the green onions, cucumber, and about ⅔ cup of the dressing. Toss until well combined. Add the tofu and toss again gently. Serve on a platter, garnished with the cilantro sprigs and the toasted sesame seeds.

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Eat Cake. Press Tofu. Juice Lemons. Make Buttermilk.

Posted on May 16, 2011 | 1 comment

One of my gal pals celebrated a birthday last week and NO ONE made her a cake.  This is basically a crime.  Ina Garten would have been be pissed; hence, I dropped everything and made some Barefoot Contessa cupcakes.  Fear not, while the cupcake recipe DOES start with nearly 2 sticks of butter, for dinner I made Lemony Chickpea Stir-fry which basically cancels out the butter!  Eat up!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing

  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature (I never have this on hand, so I “made” buttermilk using 1 cup skim milk and 1 T lemon juice-it really does work)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons brewed coffee
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup good cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Peanut Butter Icing, recipe follows

Chopped salted peanuts, to decorate, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it’s completely blended.

Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (1 rounded standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount). Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frost each cupcake with Peanut Butter Icing and sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if desired.

Peanut Butter Icing:

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

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I have a lot of friends that hate working with tofu because it’s “too spongy” or too this, or too that…I create extra, extra firm and combat spongy, with a very scientific pressing technique that I have perfected in my kitchen, you can see it in the first few photos post cupcake in the slideshow.  Hint: it involves a cast iron grill pan.  Very complex.

For the record, the birthday girl hated the stir-fry, but learned that she loves chickpeas.  One small victory.  I on the other hand decided this is one my fave Heidi Swanson recipes.  Different strokes.

Lemony Chickpea Stir-Fry

  • Recipe from 101cookbooks.com
  • 2 tablespoon ghee or extra-virgin olive oil
  • fine grain sea salt
  • 1 small onion or a couple shallots, sliced
  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas (canned is fine, if you don’t want to cook up a pot of dried chickpeas)
  • 8 ounces extra-firm tofu
  • 1 cup of chopped kale
  • 2 small zucchini, chopped
  • zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon

Heat 1 tablespoon of the ghee/olive oil In a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in a big pinch of salt, the onion, and chickpeas. Saute until the chickpeas are deeply golden and crusty. Stir in the tofu and cook just until the tofu is heated through, just a minute or so. Stir in the kale and cook for one minute more. Remove everything from the skillet onto a large plate and set aside. In the same skillet heat the remaining tablespoon of ghee/olive oil, add the zucchini and saute until it starts to take on a bit of color, two or three minutes. Add the chickpea mixture back to the skillet, and remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice and zest, taste, and season with a bit more salt if needed. Turn out onto a platter and serve family style.

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Curried Noodle Pot

Posted on April 22, 2011 | Leave a comment

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Curry on the brain this week I guess.  Monday I wrote about Curried Hash and now, we have the Curried Noodle Pot courtesy of the lovely Heidi Swanson from 101cookbooks.com.  This recipe comes from her cookbook Super Natural Cooking.  Why buy one of her books?  Her photography.  You can thank me later for the copious amounts of food porn present.

Curried Noodle Pot

  • 8 oz whole-grain wide Asian noodles ( I used whole spelt udon)
  • 2 T coconut oil
  • 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1-1/2 tsp red curry paste
  • 12 oz extra firm tofu pressed and cubed
  • 1-14 oz can coconut milk
  • 2 C veggie stock
  • 2 tsp ground tumeric or curry powder
  • 2 T shoyu sauce (or any other type of soy sauce)
  • 1T agave syrup
  • juice of one lime
  • 2/3 C peanuts (optional)
  • 1/3 C slivered shallots
  • 1/3 C chopped fresh cilantro

Cook noodles in plenty of water until just tender.

Start making curry while noodles cook. Heat coconut oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Stir in garlic, onion and curry paste and mash the paste around the bottom of the pan a bit to distribute evenly. Cook until fragrant – just a minute or two.  Add the tofu stir until well coated with curry. Stir in the coconut milk, stock, shoyu and agave, bring to simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in the lime juice and add the noodles.  Turn to coat.

To serve, heap big piles of noodles into individual bowls and top with a ladle or two of curry. Top with peanut and cilantro and shallots.

Note:  I thought this needed a bit of salt because I used unsalted peanuts for garnish.  From start to finish, this took me less than 20 minutes to make.  Bonus points for quick dinner.

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Tried and True. Asparagus Stir Fry.

Posted on March 28, 2011 | 1 comment

In an effort to get Spring to hustle up a little, I bought asparagus today from my new fave food store Horrocks on 44th and Breton in Kentwood.  It’s not quite Whole Foods or Trader Joes, but it is a fine substitute.  When I saw asparagus was on sale, I started dreaming of my fave stir fry recipe from Heidi Swanson at 101cookbooks.com.  When I think of stir fry, I think of this recipe. Salty, sweet, crunchy, tart, easy to add ingredients to, a great clean out the fridge starter recipe and very, very pretty, super green.  It just reeks of good for you.  And if you serve it over soba noodles or brown rice, it will net you 2 dinners and 2 lunches.  Enjoy!

Asparagus Stir Fry

  • toasted sesame oil
  • 8 ounces extra-firm tofu, cubed 1/2″
  • 1 cup shelled edamame
  • 1 hand full pea pods
  • 4 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon freshly chopped ginger (peeled)
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 bunches of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • a couple big pinches of fine-grain sea salt
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 big handful of toasted cashews, chopped up a bit
  • a few handfuls of spinach, or chopped kale, or chopped chard
  • zest and juice of two limes
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 1 small handful fresh mint, slivered
  • 1 small handful fresh Thai basil, slivered

Have all your ingredients prepped and within arms reach of the stove. Heat a splash of sesame oil in a large pan, or well-seasoned wok over medium high heat. Alternately, you can do this in a dry non-stick pan – one of the few occasions I still use non-stick. When it is hot, add the tofu, and cook until golden – a few minutes. Remove the tofu from the pan and set aside.

Add another (generous) splash of oil to the pan and, as soon as it is hot, add the onions, ginger, red pepper flakes, asparagus, edamame and salt. Stir fry for about a minute, then add the garlic, cashews, and spinach and stir-fry for another minute, or until the spinach wilts. Return the tofu to the pan. Stir in the lime zest and juice and the hoisin sauce. Cook for another 10-20 seconds, stirring all the while.

Remove from heat and stir in the mint and basil. Taste and add a bit more salt if needed.  I like to serve this over soba noodles or brown rice.

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Red Thai Tofu with Sesame Rice Noodles

Posted on February 9, 2011 | Leave a comment

I love it when I can grab a bunch of stuff out of my fridge and create a great recipe.  Turns out Isa Chandra Moskowicz and I obviously share an icebox.  I got into Isa’s cookbooks only recently as I am not Vegan, only Vegan-ish.  I’m considered Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian, so it was just a bit ago that I discovered that her TV show Post Punk Kitchen is now available on Google Video.  As a side note, I’m happy to say that this Oprah mainstream stuff did not inspire me to go Veg or Vegan for that matter and I don’t rely on a personal chef to cook my meals for me.  Hell, if I have a personal chef, of course I’d be Vegan!!!!!  I’d also have a personal trainer, a car service, a magical camera to make me look skinny from all angles, the list goes on, and on.  However, I don’t live on Fantasy Island and I certainly do not have humpback whales to give each of you just for reading this blog, nor do I plan to build a school in Africa or buy a TV channel.  Sorry guys, I can see me slipping from your good graces one-by-one.  I want to be able to thank Oprah for the Vegan push, but I feel like she probably just bought the Teese Vegan Cheese Company (yeah, they are in Chicago) and wants to increase sales or something.  I know.  Glass half full as usual.

At any rate, back to Isa, goddess of Vegan cooking.  Here is what I most recently made as inspired by her highness:  Red Thai Tofu from her newest and greatest Appetite for Reduction.

Red Thai Tofu with Sesame Rice Noodles

I used Tamari in place of soy sauce in this recipe to make it Gluten Free

  • 1 block extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into triangle pieces
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thinly
  • 1/2 C sliced shallots (which is a TON of those little buggers)
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbs fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 1/2 Tbs Thai red curry paste
  • 1/2 C warm water
  • 2 Tbs Tamari (or soy sauce)
  • 1 Tbs light agave nectar (or maple syrup, or honey would be fine too)
  • 15 leaves fresh Thai basil
  • 1/4 C roasted salted cashews, chopped

Preheat a cast iron grill pan (or any heavy non-stick skillet) over medium heat.  Add the tofu and cook for about 10 minutes, careful not to burn, just brown both sides.  Take care while flipping the tofu in cast iron not to tear it, use a thin spatula, metal works better than plastic here.  About half way through, drizzle with 2 tsp of the tamari and turn to coat.

Remove tofu, set aside and saute’ the red pepper, shallots, garlic, and ginger in the oil that is left, careful not to burn the garlic.  Cook until translucent.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the curry past, water, tamari, and agave.  Add tofu back to pan with the curry mix and cook for another 5 minutes or until the sauce is thick.  Add Thai basil, toss one last time and serve.

Okay, so when I was looking at this finished dish, it needed a bed of something.  Serve this on greens, or any grain you like, it goes well with everything.  I grabbed some leftover stick rice noodles, cooked them in hot water per the package instructions, then drained them and tossed with 2 tsp of roasted sesame oil-this made a delish bed for the tofu.

Lastly, there were two other things I was going to toss on top of this delicious mess, fresh bean sprouts and a bit of chopped red onion, but I of course forgot them as I was so excited to eat 🙂

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Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad with Grilled Tofu

Posted on January 10, 2011 | 1 comment

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I had a little hiatus from blogging due to my first cooking injury.  Good thing Mr. Wonderful bought really sharp knives or I might be down a finger, instead I just filleted myself a little bit.  You would not believe how incredible the combo of super glue and liquid bandage are in avoiding a visit to urgent care and stitches. I digress, on to the recipe.

I’m officially obsessed with Isa Chandra now that I have her newest cookbook Appetite for Reduction.  I mean, I loved her before with her Post Punk Kitchen (PPK), Vegan Cookies Invade the Cookie Jar and her Veganomicon, but this book is her best and healthiest yet (um, can we get more pics in the next book please?).  Here is the first recipe Mr. Wonderful and I tried from the book.  Just try it, don’t let the ingredients scare you. Most of them are readily available at the “normal” grocery store in the ethnic aisle.  If you want a deal on the price of these items venture to your local Asian grocier, just don’t freak out about what you might see in the freezer section.  You have been warned.  Now you have no excuse NOT to get to know chili garlic sauce as a binder for a delish dressing.  Even Walter the Wonderdog got in on the cooking action this time.

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad with Grilled Tofu

Serves 6 – Active Time: 30 minutes  Total Time:  40 minutes

(Can be made gluten-free if using GF tamari in place of soy sauce)

Cook’s Notes:

1. I used my heavy duty cast iron grill pan & it made gorgeous, “grilled tofu”.  Get a grill pan at Bed, Bath, & Beyond for 20% off.

2.  I used Nasoya light firm tofu to cut the fat.  My nutritional info, therefore, differs from Isa’s in the book.

3.  You can sub walnuts or cashews for the peanuts if you like.

Dressing:

  • 1/3 cup warm water
  • 3 tablespoons agave nectar (or honey..heck you could use maple syrup)
  • 3 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes, depending how juicy your limes are)
  • 1/4 tsp. salt, optional

Salad:

  • 12 ounces extra-firm tofu
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce (low sodium)
  • 1 (8-ounce) package of thin rice noodles (vermicelli)
  • 1 medium-size cucumber thinly-sliced half-moons (1 heaping cup or 6 ounces)
  • 2 carrots, peeled and grated
  • 2 handfuls of bean sprouts (I’m all about bean sprouts right now)
  • 4 ounces string beans, sliced into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)  These stay raw!
  • 1 small red onion, sliced thinly
  • 1 cup bean sprouts (this I added because I’m obsessed with them)
  • 2 cups mixed greens
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced mint leaves

Peanut-Mint Gremolata (I used walnuts):

  • 1/4 cup peanuts
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped mint
  • Zest of 1/2 lime

Instructions:

1.  To make the dressing, mix all its ingredients together and stir vigorously.  Set aside.

2.  Slice the tofu into eight equal pieces widthwise, then slice those rectangles corner to corner to form long triangles.

3.  Place in a single layer on a large plate and pour 6 tablespoons of the dressing over the slices.  Also drizzle 2 teaspoons of soy sauce.  Let marinate, flipping occasionally, while you prepare everything else.

4.  Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions.  Usually they say to boil water, turn off the heat, and soak the noodles for about 8 minutes.  Once cooked, drain in a colander and run the noodles under cold water for about a minute until they are fully cooled.  Set aside to drain while you finish prepping everything.

5.  Mix all of the vegetables and the mint leaves into the noodles. Just use your hands–it’s messy, but the best way I found to incorporate everything.  Mix the dressing into the noodles and toss to coat.  Refrigerate while you prepare everything else.

6.  Combine the gremolata indredients in a small bowl.

7.  Now grill the tofu.  Preheat a non-stick grill pan or a cast-iron grill pan or a non-stick skillet over medium high heat.   Do not spray a non-stick pan with oil–it will ruin it!  The tofu will not stick! If you only have a cast-iron pan you will have to spray it or the tofu might stick.  Grill the tofu on each side for 4 minutes, or until grill marks appear.  If using just a regular pan, cook it for 3 minutes on each side.   Add the excess marinade to the noodles.

To serve: Scoop the noodles into six pretty bowls.  Wedge two or three tofu peices on the side of each bowl.  Sprinkle with the gremolata and serve with lime wedges and extra chili garlic sauce.

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Holiday Leftovers II

Posted on January 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

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Leftovers to be transformed:  pineapple, sourdough bread, green onions, heavy whipping cream.

Made grilled chipotle/raspberry open faced sandwiches with grilled pineapple, green onions on sourdough bread.  Pineapple two ways for dessert, grilled and fresh/raw with cinnamon, nutmeg and are you ready for this?  Peachtree schnapps.  Yes.  Schnapps.

The how:  slice and press your tofu into “steaks”, marinade in chipotle/raspberry bbq sauce or any other sauce you have available for 20 minutes or so.  While you are marinating, slice and grill your green onions and pineapple over high heat until just done.  Remove pineapple and onion, then grill tofu until heated throughout and you achieve those super cool grill marks on both sides.  Remove from heat and toss your bread right onto that mess in the grill pan.  It will toast up with sauce remnants on it which isn’t a bad thing, trust me.  Assemble as an open face sandwich (I only had 2 pieces of bread to work with).

For the grilled and fresh pineapple dessert with whip.  Whip up some heavy cream with a dash of nutmeg, Splenda or sugar, cinnamon, and a douse of Schnapps.  Don’t measure, just taste as you go.  It’s not scientific, it will still be delicious-give it a whirl.  If your household has more class than mine and doesn’t have Schnapps on your shelf, stand in judgement for a bit like I expect you to, then just use vanilla for the same type of flavor profile.  🙂  Add whipped tipsy cream to your fruit and serve as shown in photos.

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Baby, It’s COLD Outside!!

Posted on December 14, 2010 | 1 comment

Mr. Wonderful and I were out and about this evening, picking up some groceries, etc when I realized my car outdoor temp registered 17 degrees!!!!!!! Tonight was a toss up, eat poorly and grab some pizza on our way home from shopping or take a marginal amount of effort, 20 minutes and make a real dinner. If I had lost at Weight Watchers this week, I would have absolutely scarfed down some pizza, but since I only maintained, it was this delicious Pineapple Tofu Stir Fry that made me think of an island get-away.  Luckily, I had everything except the ginger on hand, so stopped quick at Family Fare on the way home and whipped up this stir fry with some lovely Basmati Rice. Honestly, chopping and all, took me about 25 minutes. I doubled the recipe which is written to feed two as I had the tofu already cubed, and love this kind of thing for lunch the following day. Mr. Wonderful says “what kinda rice is this? It’s fancy, and tastes good.” Yes dear, it is fancy.

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PineApple TOFU Stir Fry

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 8-ounce can pineapple chunks or tidbits, 3 tablespoons juice reserved
  • Juice of one orange
  • 5 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 7 ounces extra-firm, water-packed tofu, drained, rinsed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (See Tip for Two)
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch (I needed 2 1/2 tsp when I doubled the sauce recipe)
  • 3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (I used 2 T of garlic, I love garlic)
  • 2 teaspoons minced ginger
  • 1 large bell pepper, cut into 1/2-by-2-inch strips (I used half a green and half a red leftover from my veggie tray)

PREPARATION

  1. Whisk the reserved 3 tablespoons pineapple juice, orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup and sugar in a small bowl until smooth. Place tofu in a medium bowl; toss with 2 tablespoons of the sauce. Let marinate for 5 minutes. Add cornstarch to the remaining sauce and whisk until smooth.
  2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer the tofu to the skillet using a slotted spoon. Whisk any remaining marinade into the bowl of sauce. Cook the tofu, stirring every 1 to 2 minutes, until golden brown, 7 to 9 minutes total. Transfer the tofu to a plate.
  3. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the sauce and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 30 seconds. Add the tofu and pineapple chunks (or tidbits) and cook, stirring gently, until heated through, about 2 minutes more.

TIPS & NOTES

  • Make Ahead Tip: The tofu can marinate (Step 1) for up to 30 minutes.
  • Storing Tofu: I doubled this recipe so I didn’t have leftover tofu, but if you don’t double it consider this tip:  rinse leftover tofu, place in a storage container and cover with water; it keeps up to 4 days in the refrigerator if the water is changed every day or 2; freeze tofu for up to 5 months. (Freezing tofu yields a pleasingly chewy result that some people prefer. Don’t be surprised if the frozen tofu turns a light shade of caramel.)
  • Uses: Crumble and use instead of the meat in your favorite tuna or chicken salad recipe; dice and add to a vegetable stir-fry; add leftover silken tofu to smoothies.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 263 calories; 12 g fat (1 g sat, 5 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrates; 10 g protein; 4 g fiber; 368 mg sodium; 549 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (280% daily value), Vitamin A (50% dv), Calcium (25% dv), Magnesium (18% dv).  With rice this was 10 WW points on the new program.

This recipe adapted from my new fave website http://www.eatingwell.com.

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