Food goodness

From my friend B, who is a lifelong vegetarian and has cracked to tofu code. This seriously tastes like junk food, and L will eat it too. Buy extra-firm tofu. Pat it dry, but no need to press it. 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon each of vegetable and sesame oil, and some grated ginger and chopped garlic. Bake in rimmed pan at 400 for 30ish minutes, or until the tofu is desired level of crispy. Turn half way through cooking.

So I have been feeling more than mildly interested in Heidi101's new book (fickle, I know), but worried that after reading it I'd just want to magically transport my family to her SF neighborhood where we would grow millet pods and farro trees and demararra sugarbushes and I can be the whole new me who is always patient with my children... Anyway, Grg made a good series of suggestions 1) Don't buy the book when you know where to get the recipes for free. 2) If I really want to make her food, then make her food, then decide whether I'm going to... 3) check it out of the library or not. Great advice, Grg. So here we go! Three 101 recipes on the menu for the week. The first one is this panzanella and it was wonderful. I forgot to add the basil at the end and it was still wonderful. I made a giant heap of it and was literally passing bowls of it to neighbors who were enjoying their porches last evening on my block. I made one addition because we were going to eat it for din...

This recipe doesn't have an official name yet, and the Chemical Brothers homage, while fun to say, doesn't quite capture all of the key ingredients. Neither does Kev's more exclamatory "Sweet Guac-y Beets." Feel free to weigh in once you've taken a look or a taste. Might be my first actual recipe not based on someone else's idea. That's something... As with most rice bowls, this is an assembly-style recipe. Each layer requires time to prep/cook, so I've tried to list the steps in such a way that you're not waiting around too much. You could drain, cube and marinate the tofu ahead to save some time. 2C uncooked brown rice 2 blocks extra firm tofu 2 cans beets 1 large sweet potato 1-2 avocados teriyaki sauce wasabi paste soy sauce chili-garlic paste toasted sesame seeds Drain two blocks of tofu, wrap in towels and press under a heavy pot for 30 minutes or more. Prepare 2 cups of uncooked brown rice using your preferred method. Preheat oven to 40...

Who am I to question Mark Bittman, but the name of this recipe is wrong... it's tofu with spinach, but not spinach sauce exactly, and isn't it just saag paneer but with tofu instead of cheese? Whatever, it was good. I ate it with some of the Wegmans-brand naan, which is also good. Ingredients: * 1 1/2 pounds spinach * 12 ounces firm or extra-firm tofu * 2 tablespoons butter or oil (I used Earth Balance) * 1 tablespoon minced ginger * 1 tablespoon minced garlic * 3 dried chilies * 2 tablespoons garam masala or curry powder * Salt to taste * 1/2 cup yogurt (I used light sour cream) * 1 1/2 cups light cream or half-and-half (I used a can of lite coconut milk) Method: * 1. Trim and wash spinach; do not dry. Chop leaves in one-inch pieces. Cut tofu in two horizontally and wrap in paper towels. Put it under a couple of plates. * 2. Put butter or oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. A minute later, add ginger, garlic a...

From: The Kitchn I used to get tofu squares from the salad bar at Whole Foods, and I could never figure out how to make them the same way at home. I tried marinating them, coating them in cornstarch, etc, before sauteing them. Well, I finally found a close approximation of those delicious tofu squares. Bake them! I made my own marinade for these, and it was really, really good. I just mixed up a bit of sesame oil, seasoned rice vinegar, honey, teriyaki sauce, granulated garlic, powdered ginger, and a bit of sriracha for heat. 1 (16-ounce) block extra firm tofu 1/2 cup soy sauce or other marinade Drain the block of tofu. Set it on a clean dish towel (or paper towels) on a rimmed dinner plate. Place another plate on top and weight it down with something heavy, like a handy can of tomatoes or a heavy skillet, to press out some of the excess liquid. Let sit 15 - 30 minutes. Cut the tofu into pieces. You can do cubes for croutons, sticks for dipping, flat squares to layer on sandwiches,...

This is a vegan recipe from a back issue of Vegetarian Times that is so good you'd never know it wasn't made with eggs, butter and milk. I made this the first time a couple of years ago and knew it would be the perfect dessert to serve when one of your dinner guests has a dairy allergy. It supposedly serves 6 but I thought that would mean serving rather large slices. Maybe 8 servings would be more appropriate. 5 oz. silken tofu, drained (you can use firm but whizz it around in the food processor first) 2/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup canola oil 1/4 cup vanilla soymilk (you can use plain and add a smidge more vanilla) 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups cake flour (I used AP) 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1 T lemon zest Lemon Glaze 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar 1 Tbs. lemon juice Blueberry Compote 2 C blueberries, rinsed 2 T sugar splash of water Preheat oven to 350F. Coat 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Blend tofu, sugar, oil, soymilk and vanilla extr...

Although it seems criminal to mess with the perfection that is Heather's old standby peanut sauce , I was looking for something to cut the peanut butter so that J. could eat it. This sauce is a lot thinner and less peanut buttery -- good in a different way. From GreenChefs . 1 cup snow peas, coarsely chopped [I used more, and sugar snap and snow peas together] 1-2 tbs. fresh ginger, minced 1 chili pepper, crushed [I used some Thai chili garlic sauce instead] 1 onion, chopped 1/2 lb tofu, cubed 1/2 cup peanut butter 1/2 cup coconut milk 1/4 cup soy sauce [I used less than this, and added about 2T of honey] 1/3 cup lime juice 4 tablespoons cilantro or coriander, chopped 8 ounces rice vermicelli 1. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Saute the onion and add the snow peas, ginger, chili pepper, stir-fry for a couple of minutes. 2. Stir in the tofu and stir fry for a couple more minutes. [I used leftover tofu that had been pan-fried separately] 3. Blend the peanut butter, soy sa...

Tempeh reubens are my favorite thing at my favorite hippie restaurant that is (sniff) closing for the summer but (yay) apparently reopening in the fall. I hope these are still on the new menu. When I saw the recipe in Vegetarian Times , I knew I had to try it -- it's a fair amount of work for a sandwich, but this makes tons of leftovers and it's sort of different and good. Ingredients Russian dressing: 4 Tbs. eggless mayonnaise [yeah, no. I used light mayo.] 1 Tbs. tomato paste [I used ketchup, which maybe wasn't ideal, but I wasn't going to open a can for 1 T.] 1/4 cup minced dill pickle [I used sweet pickle relish. there is only so much effort one can expend on making a condiment, and buying and mincing a dill pickle is way beyond however much effort that is.] 2 Tbs. minced red onion 1 tsp. Dijon mustard Tempeh reubens: 1 8-oz. pkg. tempeh 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 2 Tbs. tamari or low-sodium soy sauce 1 Tbs. black peppercorns, coarsely crushed 1 Tbs. caraway seeds ...

This is also adapted from "Martin Yan Quick and Easy," based on what I had in the house. It was tasty. Sauce: 1/2 c. vegetable broth 1 1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce (to make purely vegetarian, substitute soy sauce) 2 tsp. chili garlic sauce 1 tsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. veg oil 1/2 yellow onion, chopped 3/4 green beans, cut into 2-inch lengths 1/2 red pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips 1 package firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Place a stir-fry pan over high heat until hot. Add the oil, swirling to coat the sides. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until slightly soft, about 1 minute. Add the beans and stir-fry 3-4 minutes. Add a few drops of water if the pan is dry. Add the bell pepper, tofu and sauce and cook, stirring, until beans are tender, another 5 minutes. Serve.

Upon Shannon's request, this is the first of my two default dishes (and neither of them is as creative as Kate's vegetable soup, which sounds really good and I am definitely going to try). Stirfry is the slightly more upscale old standby, since it requires that I actually have non-expired tofu and decent veggies in the fridge. Press the tofu. It is tempting to skip this step, but you will regret it -- I learned a technique from Smitten Kitchen that is going to be my permanent go-to tofu treatment now: press and cube the tofu, then toss it in a baggie full of cornstarch (I actually have some weird wheat substitute because the hippie store didn't have cornstarch). Fry the tofu in a pan with some olive oil, making sure to flip each cube individually after the down-facing side is golden brown. Boil water for noodles -- I usually like soba or rice noodles with stirfry -- or couscous. While the tofu cooks, take all the vegetables in your refrigerator and cut them into bite-sized ...

Hefk and I joke about Heidi Sw*nson, maven of 101 Cookbooks , because we love her and yet she mystifies us a bit. (The amazing black bean brownies... let's just say "amazing" is not the word I would have chosen, and there's a reason that recipe didn't make it to this blog.) Her recipes often sound wonderful but go inexplicably wrong, or have one or two really strange ingredients you can never find, or use 62 different kitchen implements that you have to wash afterward. That said, I love her website; although I usually have more luck with Elise 's recipes, I am a faithful reader and member of the cult of personality of 101 Cookbooks. And this garlic soba noodles recipe is the first one I've ever made that lived up to its reputation on the blog -- and how good it looked in the picture. This will absolutely become a staple for me... next time, I'll try baking the tofu to see if I can get the coating to stick a little better, but all of it was totally del...

[This sounds so good and I can’t resist the name, but I messed it up by being impatient and not waiting until I had raw pepitas. I just used a snack package of pumpkin seeds that were still in their hulls. Very bad idea. The flavors were good, but the seed bits made it indigestible. We had to throw out the whole lot. Made me so sad. I’ll try making it again and let you know how it goes with the correct ingredients…] 1 head of garlic ½tsp olive oil 3 fresh poblano chilies or pasilla chilies 6-8 tomatillos ½C raw, shelled pumpkin seeds [pepitas] ½C fresh cilantro, chopped ½C chicken or vegetable stock OR- water 1.5lb extra firm, low-fat tofu tamari to taste 2-3C cooked brown rice Preheat oven to 375 F. Remove loose, papery skin from garlic and cut in half crosswise. Rub cut surfaces with olive oil. Wrap garlic in foil and bake 35 to 40 minutes until garlic is soft. [I just set a few cloves in thei...

Geoff sent me the link to an article from the NY Times (registration required, but it's free) entitled "Summer Express: 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less." Enjoy! http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/18/dining/18mini.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

from Food & Wine , July 2007, page 170 1/2 pound firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch dice 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce 3/4 pound Chinese chow mein noodles (not the crunchy ones!) or thin linguine 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 3/4 teaspoon Chinese chile-garlic sauce 1 tablespoon fresh chopped ginger 1 garlic clove 3/4 teaspoon Asian sesame oil 2 large red bell peppers, thinly sliced 3 large scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths and julienned cilantro sprigs, for garnish 1. In a large bowl, toss the tofu with 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce and let stand for 10 minutes. 2. Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Add the chow mein noodles and cook until they are al dente. Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water. Shake out the excess water and add the noodles to the tofu and soy sauce. 3. Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of soy sauce with the peanut butter, chicken stock, rice vinegar, chile-...

Last night, I was checking out the links that Shannon put on the sidebar -- and adding my own -- and I clicked on one I'd never seen before: The Savory Notebook. Her peanut butter category was my first stop, and I wound up making this for dinner last night with tofu instead of tempeh. I was initially skeptical about making the two separate sauces, but it turned out to be a great idea -- when I usually make peanut sauce, I never like how heavy and gloppy it is on the vegetables and protein. The stuff that's stirred into the noodles is always perfect, but alone it's weird. This solved the problem perfectly -- after I cooked the tofu the way I always do, I added some of the light sauce with scallions and some random greens, then sauteed a huge bunch of green beans with another portion of the sauce, with the lid on. Which I guess is steaming. Whatever. Anyway -- it was good, and there are no leftovers today because my roommates liked it so much that they ate it all. Here is th...

from The Six O'Clock Scramble by Aviva Goldfarb Geoff and I made this tonight, and it was delicious. Geoff's comment was "it's like a chicken satay that you'd get in a Thai restaurant." Very easy, plus you get to use a blender! 2 lbs boneless beef steak, such as top round (or use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tofu) 1/2 cup peanut butter, preferably natural 2 T lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon) 2 T honey 4 T soy sauce 1 T peeled and chopped fresh ginger 2 t chopped garlic (about 4 cloves) Cut the beef into 1/2-inch-thick slices. In a blender or food processor, combine all the remaining ingredients. In a plastic bag or a flat dish, combine the beef with the sauce from the blender and mix them to coat the meat thoroughly. Marinate the meat, covered and refrigerated, for at least 30 minutes or overnight, if possible. (Geoff and I marinated overnight. I recommend this.) Preheat the broiler and put the rack about 3 inches from the heat source. On a foil-lined b...

I've been sort of slacking about trying new recipes for a couple of weeks, but we're getting back into the swing of things this week. Here is one we did try last week, that was really tasty. from the vegetarian times complete cookbook 4 1-inch slices sourdough bread 3 c. vegetarian baked beans 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 onion, diced 2 tsp cumin 2 tsp. chili powder 1/2 tsp. onion powder 2 Tbsp. cornstarch 1 pound firm or extra firm tofu, cut into large cubes 4 Tbsp. soy "bacon" bits 8 oz shredded cheese (soy if you like), cheddar and Monterey Jack 1/2 c. cilantro leaves for garnish Preheat oven to 450. Arrange the bread in a large baking dish, then set aside. Put the beans in a saucepan, heat. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until golden. Remove and set aside. Combine cumin, chili powder, onion powder and cornstarch in a large bowl. Place tofu in the bowl, dust each side with mixture. Add remaning oil to the skillet, and saute tofu until ...