Meatless Monday: Peanut-Sauced-Veggie Lettuce Wraps

Today was marked by a severe hangover. A mac 'n' cheese hangover.


One of my dearest friends requested that I cook "mac 'n' cheese two ways" for her boyfriend's birthday, and, as that meant I myself would be invited to enjoy the feast, I was only too happy to oblige. But after a couple hours of sauce-tasting and cheese-nibbling, followed by the meal itself (followed by - brace yourself - cheesecake), I was feeling...less than svelte.


Enter Meatless Monday. I was thrilled that after I tallied up the ingredients for this dish, it turned out to be vegan! I figure that after the dairy damage I did last night, a purely plant-based meal was called for. Nonetheless, what a voluptuous tasting meal it was!


The peanut sauce and tofu give it a lush richness, while the crispness of the lettuce and serving the rice cold make it totally summer-worthy. This would be dynamite with chicken instead of tofu, and if you wanted to skip the zillion-ingredient peanut sauce, a nice bottled Asian stir-fry sauce would be a dandy switch as well.


My continued apologies, dear readers, for my sporadic posts! I have vowed to cook up a storm from now till I head to Mexico in two weeks - it's simply the only way I won't sink my surfboard! To your health!

INGREDIENTS

Peanut Sauce:

2 T. sesame oil
several big spoonfuls natural peanut butter
big squeeze of honey
squeeze of Sriracha
a few vigorous shakes tamari or soy sauce
juice of one lime
several vigorous dashes rice wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
cilantro, chopped

Veggies/Filling:

1 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
shelled edamame
broccolini, chopped
2 carrots, sliced thinly on the bias
1/3 block tofu, in small chunks

Lettuce leaves from one head of iceberg
cooked white or brown rice, cold or warm

STEP 1:

Make the sauce: whisk together all ingredients and set aside.

STEP 2:

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Squeeze excess moisture out of the tofu with paper towels, and cook the chunks in a dry pan until golden brown on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.

STEP 3:

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and carrots to pan. Cook until onions get lightly brown at the edges. Add the broccolini, tofu pieces, and peanut sauce.

STEP 4:

Serve the rice and lettuce leaves alongside the veggie mixture. Place a little rice and veggies in each lettuce leaf, roll up like a burrito, and enjoy!

Meatless Mondays: Thing One & Thing Two

After a weekend
of meatish indulgence,
veggies were called for
in overabundance.


She chopped up some leaves
and defrosted some beans
and whipped up a dressing
quite worthy of queens.


"Tis a shock to my system"
her boyfriend exclaimed,
yet not one lettuce leaf
on his plate went unclaimed.


Despite her public distaste
for salads in general,
she realized she needed
some vitamins, minerals!


"Cilantro," she said,
"will just do the trick."
And indeed it transformed
the salad - and quick!


She boiled wheatberries
till soft to the tooth.
It took over an hour -
and that's the sad truth.

Every once in a while
you need a good cleanse
so you and your figure
can remain best of friends.


Enjoy these two salads
without any guilt.
For optimum health
they were specially built.


INGREDIENTS: WHEATBERRY & ASPARAGUS SALAD

1 cup wheatberries
olive oil
1 bunch thin asparagus, ends trimmed
1 medium shallot, chopped
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks green garlic, halved and thinly sliced
fresh thyme
fresh oregano
fresh rosemary
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
~1/3 c. white wine
1/3 block of extra-firm tofu


INGREDIENTS: ASIAN BROCCOLINI SALAD & CILANTRO-TOFU DRESSING

a few handfuls mixed baby lettuces
1 T. sesame oil
2 finger peppers, thinly sliced, with all seeds
1 bunch broccolini, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 medium shallot, chopped
~1 cup frozen shelled edamame
salt and pepper
~1/2 c. roasted cashews
2 smallish carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds

Dressing:

1/2 medium shallot, chopped
a few big dashes rice wine vinegar
juice of 1 lime
dollop creme fraiche (or sour cream, or yogurt)
1 bunch cilantro, ends trimmed
big squeeze honey
1/3 block tofu, crumbled
~1/3 c. water
salt and pepper

Karyn's Green Zebra

I don't usually give my dishes creative names, only because I think that when you see my newest post online (or in your Facebook newsfeed), you should instantaneously be able to know if you'd like to make it, based on the ingredients.


This, however, I couldn't resist. This past weekend was nothing but work, work, work for me, but I did have one night of respite - and what respite it was. I had dinner with my friend Colleen at Green Zebra, an amazing upscale restaurant (thank you, Groupon!). Green Zebra also happens to be a vegetarian restaurant. I had heard such amazing things about it - from veggies and non-veggies alike - that I couldn't wait to go.


Green Zebra did not disappoint. In fact, it was one of the best meals I've had in Chicago. From a sublime cauliflower pot de creme to a truly transcendent duck egg on potato puree, it was an incredible meal from the first bite to the last. I can't wait to go back.


I also recently experienced local vegan haunt Karyn's Cooked, which was - much to my surprise - delicious! Not that I can't imagine vegan food being good...I guess I just didn't expect it to be that good. I had brunch with my friend Sarah, and I'd love to go back for lunch or dinner. Hence, I named this dish after my two recent inspiring vegetarian meals. Karyn's Green Zebra (or asparagus and carrots with cilantro chutney and marinated tofu) is easy, healthy, and was completely unplanned. It was borne of pure hunger and a desire to use the last of my fresh veggies before they wilted in the fridge.

If I made this again, I'd roast the veggies a bit longer, as they were a bit crisp, but if you prefer a more raw, salad-like texture, you could cook them as little as you like. The quick-marinating of the tofu really added a nice texture and flavor to it - this is a technique I am definitely going to revisit with varying ingredients in the future.

After a weekend full of work and several late nights, I'm exhausted and going to cut this short, but to my Chicago followers, let me know if you head to Green Zebra or Karyn's. Better yet, take me with you!

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch thin-stemmed asparagus, washed and trimmed or tough ends, and cut in half
1 bunch true baby carrots (the kind with green tops attached), peeled and halved
2 finger peppers, sliced, with all seeds
3 T. olive oil, divided
1/4 block extra-firm tofu, cut into thirds and pressed dry of excess moisture
soy sauce
rice vinegar
Sriracha
1/4 c. roasted salted cashews
2 medium onions, halved and sliced thinly
salt and pepper
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and stems
juice of one lime
juice of one lemon
olive oil
salt
water
squeeze of honey

STEP 1:

Preheat the oven to 400. In a shallow baking dish, toss the carrots, asparagus, and finger pepper slices in about 1 T. olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast until desired donesness (I cooked mine for about 20 minutes). You could cook it more, but I wouldn't recommend cooking it less.

STEP 2:

Meanwhile, heat another 1 T. olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the tofu in the oil until golden brown on one side. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side. In a shallow bowl wide enough to hold the three tofu pieces, mix a few dashes soy sauce, a few dashe rice vingegar, and a squeeze of Sriracha. When the tofu is done, take it out of the pan (leave the oil in the pan) and place it in the soy sauce mixture. Let it soak until you're ready to seve the dish, flipping it occasionally. Nestle the cashews alongside the tofu, in the liquid.

STEP 3:

Add another T. of olive oil to the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized. Set aside.

STEP 4:

Meanwhile, put the rest of the ingredients listed (starting with the cilantro) into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside. Remove the asparagus and carrots from the oven. Pile on a plate, top with some onions, lay the pieces of tofu on top, and top with a little of the tofu marinating liquid and the cilantro sauce. Scatter some cashews around the plate. Serve and enjoy!

Eat well and enjoy life, friends! More soon...

Vegan Sweet & Sour...Hot Pot?

You don't have to be able to define something to like it.


And for that reason, this will be a short post, because I don't know what this really is.


There's too much liquid for it to be a stir-fry.


But not so much that it's a soup.


It's an Asian-flavored, animal-product-free, easy, cheap, and delicious dinner.


And that's as close to a definition as I'm going to get. Enjoy, friends.

INGREDIENTS

2 T. sesame oil
1/3 block extra firm tofu, squeezed dry and cut into cubes
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, in chunks
1 serrano pepper, sliced, with all seeds
~1 cup fresh broccoli florets
~1/2 c. frozen shelled edamame
~1/3 c. frozen green peas
2 T. brown sugar
~1/4 cup soy sauce
several vigorous shakes rice wine vinegar
~1 tsp. grated ginger
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
zest and juice of one lime
handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
pinch of salt
black pepper

STEP 1:

Heat 1 T. of the oil in a Dutch oven or nonstick pan. Cook the tofu over medium heat, flipping each piece when it's golden brown on one side, until all pieces are golden brown on both sides. Remove from the oil and set aside. Add the rest of the oil to the pan, then add the red bell pepper, onion, and serrano pepper. Cook for about 4-5 minutes.

STEP 2:

Add the broccoli, soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, lime zest and juice, salt and pepper, ginger, and garlic. Cook for a few more minutes.

STEP 3:

Add the tofu, edamame, peas, and cliantro. Cook for 3-4 more minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Vegetarian Stuffed Poblanos with Avocado Crema

There may not be anything more satisfying than serving tofu to a mixed crowd and having everyone love it.


Ok, ok, it certainly wasn't the star of the meal - in fact, it was cut into tiny little pieces and scattered amongst beans, rice, and Mexican delights of all varieties. But it was definitely in there! And let me tell you what - these stuffed peppers were freaking good. Ross and my friends Jess (of former roommate fame) and Mike (her boyfriend) agreed. It was a spontaneous Sunday night dinner that I look forward to revisiting tonight in the form of leftovers.

I had been really scared to try roasting peppers on the gas stovetop, for obvious reasons (fear of causing the Great Chicago Fire 2.0 chief among them), but it's actually a mellow process. I made sure there weren't any kitchen towels in sparking range, and just stood and watched the skin char. And the way it enhances the flavor of the poblanos - that's worth a little fear, my friends. In fact, you should only be afraid of not making this recipe - ASAP!

INGREDIENTS

4 large poblano peppers
2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 serrano chile, thinly sliced
1 can diced tomatoes and green chiles and all juices
1 can tomato paste diluted with equal part water
cumin (start with a few shakes, taste, and add as needed)
Mexican chili powder (start with a few shakes, taste, and add as needed)
dried oregano (start with a few shakes, taste, and add as needed)
salt and pepper
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2/3 block extra-frim tofu, cut into 1/4" cubes and squeezed dry
juice of 1/2 a lime
~1/2 cup chopped cilantro
~3 cups cooked brown rice
~1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
grape tomatoes, in chunks, for garnish

Avocado Crema:
1 very ripe avocado
~1/2 cup light sour cream
juice of 1 lime
1/3 c. chopped cilantro
salt and pepper


STEP 1:

If you have a gas stovetop, turn a burner on medium heat, and place a poblano pepper directly on the flame. Roast on each side until the skin is charred black and bubbly. (You can also just roast them in the oven on high heat or under the broiler, or in a grill pan.) When each poblano is blackened, place in a bowl or a tupperware container with a tight-fitting lid and let rest for about 15 minutes. Peel the skins off and discard.


STEP 2:

With a sharp knife, cut a slice lengthwise down the poblanos and cut circularly around the stem of the pepper. Pull out the stem and seeds and discard. Meanwhile, cook the rice in a rice cooker or on the stove.

STEP 3:

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the onions, green pepper, and serrano pepper until beginning to soften. Add some cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and oregano. Stir and cook for a few more minutes. Add the can of diced tomatoes and the watered-down tomato paste. Add more seasonings, cooking and stirring occasionally.

STEP 4:

Add the lime juice, beans and tofu, and add the rice after it's cooked. Stir to combine, taste, and adjust seasonings. Fold in the cilantro.


STEP 5:

Preheat the oven to 375. Place the poblano peppers in a lightly oiled baking dish. Stuff each one with the rice/beans/tofu mixture. Cover each poblano with cheese. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until cheese is melty.


STEP 6:

Meanwhile, in a small pot, heat all the ingredients for the avocado crema over medium-low heat. Use an immersion blender to blend it until smooth. When the peppers are done, top each one with the crema before serving. Garnish with fresh tomato chunks. Serve and enjoy!


I think Ross put it best when he said, "I couldn't even taste the healthy." Really says it all.

Eat well, enjoy life, and more soon!

Meatless Mondays: Three-Pepper Thai Pesto Noodles

One sad, lonely photo. That is all.


That's simply all I could muster. In an apartment with no less than four digital cameras, two photo-enabled cell phones, one small video camera, and two laptops with built-in camera lenses, I could only manage one photo of this delicious, spectacularly indulgent vegan dinner.

I searched high and low for batteries, memory cards, matching computer-connection cords, and all the digital accoutrements needed to take and upload photos, but everything was scattered, missing, misplaced, or broken (all within 400 measly square feet, lest we forget). *Le sigh.* At least my old, decrepit batteries in one camera held out for this photo - the AA's swan song.

If I had a few more lovely photos to break up my commentary, I'd share with you all about how traditional pesto gave way to an Asian pesto inspiration, but you can Google pesto and see for yourself. Sparse though the evidence may be, this was a craveable meatless Monday creation. And I realized, mid-bite, that it was not only vegetarian, it was vegan as well (bonus for me and my planet!).

If you've never made pesto, or are trying to eat more conscientiously, or if you simply delight in an overabundance of cilantro, I urge you to make this pesto* posthaste. And then try not to have seconds.

NOTE: If you are sensitive to spicy foods, as mentioned, watch your serranos, and if you're a total wuss, substitute green bell peppers for the Cubanelles. Trust me.

INGREDIENTS
Makes 5-6 servings

PESTO (makes about 2 cups - you'll have some leftover):
1 bunch cilantro, stems trimmed off
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems trimmed off
1/4 c. toasted sesame oil
1/3 c. olive oil (you could use less - I just eyeballed it)
4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
big handful roasted salted peanuts (about 1/2 cup?)
1/3 cup (about) roasted unsalted cashews
several vigorous dashes soy sauce
juice of 1 lime
juice of 1 lemon
a few vigorous dashes rice vinegar
2 T. honey
~1/3 c. water (more or less as needed)

PEPPERS/TOFU
1 T. toasted sesame oil
1-2 tsp. olive oil
1/3 block extra firm tofu, cut into chunks, moisture squeezed out
1 red bell pepper, in big chunks
1 medium sweet onion, in chunks
2 cubanelle peppers, halved and sliced
2 serrano chilies, halved and sliced, with seeds (if you're sensitive to spice, remove all seeds, or leave out serranos altogether)

1 package rice noodles (or, if you're dumb like me ran out of rice noodles, use 1/3 rice noodles and 2/3 whole wheat spaghetti - cook them according to package directions and in two separate pots).
small handful peanuts and cashews for garnish (optional)

STEP 1:

Combine all ingredients under "PESTO" in a blender. Blend on high until mixture forms a smooth, creamy pesto sauce. My blender is a 7-year-old, $8 blender from Wal-Mart, so it took a little prodding till it would really get going, but just push stuff around in there until it all gets mixed. Set aside.

STEP 2:

Heat the sesame oil in a pan. Fry the tofu on all sides until golden brown. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add a little olive oil to the pan (and the remaining sesame oil) and add the onion and bell pepper. Cook until lightly browned at the edges.

STEP 3:

Add the Cubanelle and serrano peppers to the peppers/onions. Add a little salt and pepper. Cook until the cubanelles and serranos are softened and beginning to brown lightly in places. Meanwhile, boil the noodles, drain, and set aside (try to time it so that you're ready to toss everything together as soon as the noodles are done).

STEP 4:

In the pot you cooked the noodles in (off the heat), toss the noodles with 1 to 1.5 cups of the pesto and the peppers mixture. Transfer to plates or a serving dish. Top with the fried tofu and some extra nuts for garnish. Enjoy!

Meatless Monday: Chinese Tofu Stir-Fry

Meatless Mondays. And no, this is not yet another excuse to employ alliteration (although just about any excuse will do). Meatless Mondays is a nationwide initiative spearheaded by the John Hopkins (never heard of 'em) school of Public Health to try to reduce Americans' meat consumption by 15%.

One day a week without meat? But why?!

*Sccccrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech* [That's the sound of me dragging my soapbox into place.]


You can reduce your risk of heart disease. Reduce our fossil fuel dependency. Save money, water, energy, and - let's call a spade a spade - cute little animals. I could go on. But why take my word for it? Check out all the details on www.meatlessmonday.com.

I let the 3/4 rule guide my diet: I try to make sure 3/4 of my diet is plant-based. So Meatless Mondays aren't a big stretch for me. I look forward to eating meatless meals, not only for all the reasons Johns Hopkins says I should, but simply because I enjoy plant-based foods (although admittedly, I like them best when smothered in cheese). But as for a certain - ahem - live-in boyfriend, Meatless Mondays might as well be called I'm-Still-Hungry-Where's-The-Meat Mondays. Unlike the fine folks working in public health, Ross didn't exactly jump up and down when I told him I'd like to institute MM's in our household.


In fact, fresh off a trip to the gym, Ross was no doubt fantasizing about animal flesh the entire bus ride home, while I, meanwhile, lovingly drained and pan-fried tofu for our dinner. But he kept a positive attitude and had faith that I could make any meal - even a vegetarian one - pretty tasty. I'd like to think he was right.


INGREDIENTS

1 T. toasted sesame oil
1/2 block extra-firm tofu, cut into thin-ish 1" square slices
1 more T. sesame oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium bell peppers, cut into chunks
1/2 head cabbage. sliced thinly
1 bunch broccolini, cut into 1-inch pieces
handful roasted unsalted cashews
splash of wine OR juice of one lime OR 1/4 c. water OR 1/4 c. vegetable broth
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
about 1/3 c. soy sauce
about 3 T. hot sauce (or to taste)
several vigorous shakes of seasoned rice vinegar
a few big drizzles of honey
salt and pepper to taste (season at the end only if needed)
cooked brown rice for serving

STEP ONE:

On paper towels, press the tofu down, squeezing out the water. Meanwhile, heat 1 T. sesame oil in a large pan. When tofu is dry, cook in the oil over medium heat until crisp and golden brown on one side. Flip each piece individually and cook until the other side is crisp and golden brown.

STEP TWO:

Add the rest of the sesame oil to the remaining oil in the pan, then add the onion, cabbage, and bell peppers. Cook for a few minutes, until beginning to soften. Add the wine (or alternate acid/liquid). Cook for a few more minutes, until liquid is almost evaporated. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, hot sauce, honey, garlic, broccolini, cashews, and tofu. Cover and cook until broccolini is crisp tender. Uncover and let some liquid evaporate.

STEP THREE:

Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve over brown or white rice. Enjoy!


Ross' Comments:
"It tasted delicious even though it had negative calories. I think I lost weight while eating it."

Ha! Negative calories? If I knew how to make delicious food that actually took away calories as you were eating it, I'd already have a Food Network show (not to mention line of stylish cookware), my friends.

I usually don't espouse the nutritousness - or lack therof - of my recipes, mostly because I'm no dietician, and far be it from to guess how many calories, fat grams, etc., are in my dishes. However, just to make you feel even better about trying this meatless meal: the fat in this dish is mostly good fat, from the cashews and sesame oil (fat helps you feel full even if you're not eating animals). The cashews and tofu have a good amount of protein; the bell peppers are little Vitamin C bombs, and broccolini has calcium and iron. The brown rice has fiber (as do all the veggies), and the soy sauce helps to unlock all of rice's nutrients (yes, rice has lots of nutrients!). And that's just the tip of the delicious stir-fry iceberg.

Happy Meatless Mondays, friends! Eat your veggies and live well :-) More soon...

(Almost) Heidi's Cashew Cauliflower Curry

They say that the hotter the region of the world, the spicier the cuisine (think Thailand, India, Malaysia).

Chicago certainly isn't known for its balmy temperatures, but lately it's been as hot and muggy as it is down south this time of year. Maybe that explains my sudden craving for tongue-scorching fare.

I had a great weekend of baby-showering (the arrival of my little nephew is only two months away!), but in so doing, I devoured no less than a dozen egg salad and pimiento cheese tea sandwiches - on white bread, no less! It was also my birthday weekend, which meant several thousand calories consumed that other way you consume calories - in, ahem, liquid form.


So I wanted something healthy, vegetable-y, and yes, fiery. I checked out 101cookbooks.com for inspiration, and found a curry recipe of Heidi's that I'd been wanting to make for some time now. I've made curries that were similar to this, but never so closely inpsired by this exact recipe. I also liked that her Cashew Curry wasn't served with rice - as much as I like rice, the idea of just slurping the spicy curry broth straight from a spoon sounded wonderful.

I did add a few things to Heidi's recipe, but only because I wanted to make her recipe go further - so I could pack several days of lunches this week.

ALMOST HEIDI'S CASHEW CAULIFLOWER CURRY

Serve 3-4

INGREDIENTS

1 can light coconut milk
1 can vegetable broth
big squeeze honey
1/2 head orange (or regular) cauliflower
1/3 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into pieces
1/4 block extra firm tofu, cut into chunks
1 red chile pepper, seeded and finely minced
1 small yellow onion, or half a large onion
1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced thinly
1 smallish yam, peeled and cut into smallish chunks
1-2 T. curry powder
a little salt
handful roasted unsalted cashews
big handful cilantro leaves

STEP ONE:

Add the coconut milk and vegetable broth in a large skillet. Turn the heat to medium-high. Whisk in the salt and curry powder and honey.

STEP TWO:

Add the rest of the ingredients, except the cilantro and the cashews. Bring to a low boil and cool until all vegetables are tender and the curry broth has reduced and thickened.


STEP THREE:

Stir in the cashews. Pour into bowls or a serving dish and top with a bunch of cilantro. Enjoy!

This is one of my favorite curries I've made to date! I love that it was lightly - but not cloyingly - sweet. The curry flavor was really direct, and the heat level was perfect - enough to make my nose run but not so hot my lips were burning. The vegetables and cashews were hearty and satisfying; I would definitely make this again. And it was super easy - you don't even have to saute the veggies, you just chop and drop.


It would be excellent with shrimp or chicken, too, and also tasty over rice if you wanted to go that way. I can't wait to have a spicy leftovers lunch tomorrow at work...mmmm.

Thanks for reading! More soon...

Gingery Tofu and Cabbage Stir-Fry

Sometimes, I'm ambivalent about what I want to make, agonizing over every ingredient and flipping through endless magazines for inspiration. And sometimes, like with this stir-fry, inspiration hits me as soon as I see an ingredient.


I knew I would have a ton of leftover cabbage from the fish tacos, and I immediately knew I wanted to make a brown rice and tofu stir-fry. I've been meaning to cook something with an Asian flair lately, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so.

I had to pick up the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar, but being long-lasting staples, I wasn't worried, especially since I had most of what I needed on hand. The one thing I really wanted was sesame oil, which Dominick's didn't have, but I used olive oil and it still came out tasty.


Cabbage, in my humble opinion, is an under-used and under-appreciated ingredient. The one downside is that, being one person, it's almost impossible to use an entire head of cabbage (I see why it's a staple in the peasant soups of Europe - it's cheap and plentiful!). Unlike spinach and the like, cabbage really stands up to high heat and strong flavors, making it perfect in a spicy and gingery Asian dish. I really used a heavy hand with the ginger in mine, but if you like your ginger subtler, just tone it down a bit.

I was thrilled that I finally successfully fried tofu to a lovely golden brown - normally I just stir it in and wonder why it doesn't firm up and get some color (the key is frying it in a dry pan before you put it in a dish). It really enhanced the texture and allowed it to hold up through the vigorous stir-fry process.


Overall, this came out really nicely, and it was a great healthy end to a weekend of delicious indulgence at various barbeques and bars. I hope you put your own twist on this stir-fry (chicken, perhaps?) and enjoy it as much as I did.

GINGERY TOFU AND CABBAGE STIR-FRY

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dry brown rice
2 cups water
a little salt

1/2 a large head of green cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 large white onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced in rings
1-2 tsp. freshly grated ginger root
3 cloves of garlic
3 T. olive oil (or you could use vegetable or sesame oil)
a few good shakes of rice wine vinegar
1/4 c. reduced-sodium soy sauce, or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes to taste
1/3 of a block of extra-firm tofu, sliced and patted very dry

fresh chopped cilantro for garnishing
raw cashews for garnish (optional: I needed to use some up, but they definitely added a nice crunch. You could also use unsalted peanuts)


STEP ONE:

Cook the brown rice in the water with a little salt, covered, according to package directions. Set aside. When as much of the moisture is squeezed out of the tofu as you can manage (pressing gently between paper towels), heat a large skillet over medium high heat and fry the tofu for a few minutes on each side, not moving it around, until it gets golden brown on each side. Remove from pan and set aside.

STEP TWO:

Using the same pan, add the olive oil and let it heat up for a minute, then add the onion, carrot, and bell pepper. Cook for a few minutes, seasoning with a little salt and pepper and red pepper flakes (I went easy on the salt all the way through this dish because I knew I was going to season it later with the soy sauce).

STEP THREE:

Add the cabbage and add a little more salt/pepper/red pepper flakes. If your stir-fry looks too dry, add a little more oil. Cook for a few minutes, until the cabbage begins to soften. Add the vinegar and stir-fry everything for a few minutes. When the cabbage has gotten even softer, add the ginger and garlic. Stir-fry a little more.


STEP FOUR:

When the garlic and ginger are fragrant, stir in the rice and the soy sauce and stir-fry a little more. Add the tofu at the very end, careful not to break it up too much with the stirring. If it needs a little more soy sauce, add it. Serve, garnishing with the cilantro and cashews, and enjoy!


Thanks for reading! More soon...

Apricot-Cashew Moroccan Tofu & Couscous

Pardon me while I perch upon my culinary soapbox for a moment: it annoys the [bean curd] out of me when people claim they don't like tofu. Mostly because 90% of those people have never tried it. Most irritating of all is the insipid half-question/half-excuse, "Well, I don't even know what tofu IS...!!!"

To which I might reply, "Ever heard of Wikipedia?" Or perhaps, "And I suppose you know EXACTLY what comprises a Filet-o-Fish?"


Tofu is made from the soy plant. You know, the amazing crop that has sustained civilizations all over the world for thousands of years? The simple, humble legume that contains ALL of the essential amino acids, is high in protein, and is - oh yeah - delicious?!? Many of my cohorts loooove to have edamame before they eat their designer sushi rolls, but a scrumptious tofu stir-fry? Never.

OK, OK, I'll step down off my soapbox now. (Although the view is really quite nice.)

All smug, pro-veg-agenda rhetoric aside, tofu is really a wonderful kitchen staple. It's the picture of versatility - which is why it's so often compared to the egg (that, and its textural resemblance to egg whites). It takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it in, hence its comparison to the ubiquitous chicken, the flavor-sherpa of the animal kingdom.

I had been meaning to pick up some tofu for awhile, and as I think more and more about the many unsettling things I've learned about the American meat industry, I felt that today was the day for a delicious return to a forgotten favorite. I was craving something spicy and restorative after a draining weekend of traveling (not to mention eating crap airport food).

I remembered I had some couscous, which inspired me to create a Moroccan-spiced, (almost) vegetarian dish that completely hit the airport-garbage-laden spot.


APRICOT-CASHEW MOROCCAN TOFU & COUSCOUS

INGREDIENTS

1/4 block extra firm organic tofu, cut into chunks
1/2 zucchini, halved and cut into half moons
1 yellow bell pepper, chunked
handful dried apricots
handful whole raw cashews, unsalted
1/2 a medium white onion, chunked
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. Moroccan spice mixture (from The Spice House or specialty store)
2 T. peach preserves (apricot preserves would be ideal, but I had peach on hand)
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1 T. Sriracha hot sauce, or to taste
1 c. chicken broth
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1 c. dry whole wheat couscous
1 T. butter or olive oil
salt to taste

STEP ONE:

Heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet that has a lid. Saute the onions until translucent and brown at the edges. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for about a minute.

STEP TWO:

Add the chicken broth and the rest of the ingredients (except the couscous ingredients, of course), stir to combine, cover, and cook on medium until the veggies are just tender and the liquid is slightly thickened.



STEP THREE:

Meanwhile, cook the couscous according to package directions. Serve the Moroccan tofu mixture over couscous in a shallow bowl. Enjoy!

This came out lovely. The balance of savory and sweet elements punctuated with a bit of fiery Sriracha was just what the flight attendant ordered. The Moroccan spice blend really complemented the apricot flavor, and the tofu was the perfect protein star player. Next time, I'd chop some fresh cilantro as a garnish (I completely forgot to pick it up - if I didn't live in a dark Lincoln Park shoebox, I'd just grow my own).

This recipe, be forewarned, makes enough for about 3-4 meals. I have an inkling that it will only get tastier with time. I can't wait to have it for lunch tomorrow!


I can see this recipe being a nice introduction to the world of tofu for those who may be uninitiated. If you didn't know that there was tofu in the dish, you wouldn't even notice it - its meaty, silky texture is great with the crisp veggies, but its neutral taste allows the bold, exotic flavors to take center stage.

Hopefully the tofu-shy out there will venture into the world of complete vegetarian protein - if just as a brief departure from omnivorousness.

Thanks for reading! More soon...