Spice-Crusted Tofu

Just another tasty tofu dish. 

Spice-Crusted Tofu

Ingredients

3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 14- to 16-ounce package extra-firm tofu
3 tablespoons boiling water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Toast in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. 

Mix paprika, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Drain tofu and pat dry with paper towels. Cut crosswise into 8 slices, ½ inch thick. Dredge the tofu liberally with the spice mixture, coating all sides. Mix boiling water, lemon juice and honey in a small bowl.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; swirl to coat the bottom. Add tofu and cook on one side until brown and crusty, 4 to 5 minutes; flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the honey mixture to the pan (it will bubble up and evaporate very quickly) and shake to coat the tofu. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the toasted pine nuts.

Original link:

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/252897/spice-crusted-tofu/

Beef Stew

Below is my own variation on beef stew, although it borrows heavily from a classic version.

One of the most important things is to have the right kind of meat.  Chuck is an excellent choice that made for a tender and tasty stew meat.  The stuff at the store labelled "stew meat" is NOT the way to go.

Andrew says the next most important thing is to add lots of meat.  This is definitely true, but I've also found that a healthy portion of mushrooms also helps.

Beef Stew

Ingredients

Boneless beef chuck (well-marbled), cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
Olive oil
Garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
Yellow onions, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Carrots, scrubbed and cut into one-inch chunks on a diagonal
Celery, chopped
Mushrooms, quartered and/or sliced
1-1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Potatoes (red or yukon are great choices because of their soft skin, but russet works well too), scrubbed and chopped
Equal parts beef broth and water
Spices, such as bay leaves and dried thyme

Directions

In a large stock pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Cook beef until browned.  Remove from pot.

Add more oil to stock pot (if necessary).  Add garlic and cook until fragrant.  Add onions and balsamic vinegar to the stock pot and saute, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape brown bits from bottom of pot.  Add carrots.  Then celery.  Then mushrooms. Allow cooking time between each group of veggies.

Stir in tomato paste.  Add beef with juice back to the pan, sprinkling with flour and stir until dissolved.  Add potatoes.  Add equal parts beef broth and water until veggies and meat are completely covered.  Add spices, salt, and pepper, as desired.

Cover and cook until potatoes are soft.  Remove bay leaves and serve.

Original link:
http://www.onceuponachef.com/2011/02/beef-stew-with-carrots-potatoes.html

Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, and Chicken Broth Gravy

What do you do when you have lots of leftover turkey, really want mashed potatoes and turkey gravy, but you don't have any pan drippings?  

If you're me from last year, you buy store bought gravy.  Blech.

If you're smart, you make your own gravy using chicken broth.

Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, and Chicken Broth Gravy

Ingredients

Mashed potatoes
Leftover turkey
3 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions

Melt the butter, then add the flour and blend thoroughly. Slowly add the broth, salt and pepper and blend until mixture thickens.

Add leftover turkey.  Serve over mashed potatoes.


Original link:
http://www.foodgeeks.com/recipes/easy-chicken-gravy-19219

Chinese Salt and Pepper Tofu

It's actually possible to overcook tofu.  Whoops!  Even so, this dish still turned out quite tasty (but I'll take them off the skillet on time next time).

The saute is tasty, but could also be excluded if desired.  The tofu is the fun part of this dish.

Chinese Salt and Pepper Tofu

Ingredients

for the sauté
1/2 tablespoon oil
2 medium leeks, white part only, washed and grit removed (1 cup when chopped)
1 celery rib (1/2 cup when chopped)
1 small green pepper (1/2 cup when chopped)
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

for the tofu
1 block (14 oz when drained) extra firm tofu
4 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon or to taste freshly cracked black pepper
Salt

Vegetable or canola oil for frying

Directions

Chop the leeks, celery and green pepper into a fine dice. Heat oil in a wok on medium-high heat. Add chopped leeks, celery, and green pepper. Sauté on high heat for about 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic. Cook another 1-2 minutes. Add soy sauce and brown sugar and cook 30 seconds. Set this mixture aside.

Pat dry the drained tofu. Cut into 1 inch cubes. Place the tofu cubes in a large bowl. Add corn starch, salt and pepper. Gently toss till the tofu pieces are very well coated.

In a skillet, pour oil so that it comes up 1/2 inch. Heat the oil.Make sure oil is hot. Add tofu cubes a few at a time. If you fry too many in one go they won’t crisp up. Fry the tofu pieces, flipping them around, so that all sides are golden brown. Drain onto a few layers of paper towels.

Heat up the sautéed leeks, celery and bell pepper. Add the fried tofu cubes to this. Toss well. Serve vegan Chinese salt and pepper tofu with your favorite chili sauce and garnish with celery leaves or green onions.



Original link:
http://www.veggiebelly.com/2010/07/restaurant-style-chinese-salt-pepper-tofu.html

Baked Butternut Squash and Cheese Polenta

For our annual holiday party, I always make a vegetarian dish that can work as a side as well as a hearty main dish for any vegetarian guests. This selection did not disappoint.

The original recipe calls for a cast iron skillet. I did not have one, so I used my regular skillet that is oven safe. If all else fails, a pie pan would have worked as well.

I ended up using more water to make the polenta than the original recipe calls for (the extra water is reflected below). I even used a little milk as well. That is because, based on my understanding of cooking polenta, too little water can lead to uncooked corn meal kernels. The milk can add an extra creaminess to the flavor; however, this recipe is so rich it's probably not necessary.

Top the baked polenta with sauteed mushrooms (such as cremini and shittake) for extra pizzazz.

Baked Butternut Squash and Cheese Polenta

Ingredients

One 2-pound butternut squash—peeled, seeded and sliced 1 inch thick
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 cups water
2 cups coarse polenta
Unsalted butter
4 ounces smoked Gouda, shredded (1 cup)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Arrange the squash on a large oiled baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, until tender. Transfer the squash to a bowl and mash coarsely. (You should have about 1 1/2 cups.) Spread the pine nuts on a pie plate and toast in the oven for 4 minutes, until golden. Coarsely chop the nuts.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and sage and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, 25 minutes; add a few tablespoons of water if the onion looks dry.

In a saucepan, bring the 6 cups of water to a boil. Whisk in the polenta and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook over very low heat, stirring frequently, until tender, about 35 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of butter along with the mashed squash, pine nuts, onion, Gouda and half of the grated Parmigiano cheese. Pour the hot polenta into a buttered large cast-iron skillet. Flatten the top of the polenta slightly without spreading it to the edges; refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.

Rub the surface of the polenta with softened butter and sprinkle with the remaining grated Parmigiano cheese. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour, until the top and side are lightly browned and crisp. Let stand for 20 minutes before cutting it into wedges.

Original link:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/baked-butternut-squash-and-cheese-polenta

Ginger-Roasted Parsnips

This is a delicious side dish.  Personal tip, I would add even more ginger than the recipe calls for.  It's super tasty.

Ginger Roasted Parsnips

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 pounds small parsnips, peeled and quartered
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Pour the olive oil into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add the parsnips and ginger, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes, until the parsnips are tender. Serve right away.

Make ahead tip:
The parsnips can be roasted up to 4 hours ahead. Reheat, covered, in a 350° oven.

Original link:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/ginger-roasted-parsnips

BBQ Pulled Pork Quesadillas

Yet another use for leftover pulled pork.  This one is my creation, but it is inspired by (and borrows heavily from) the recipe below.

BBQ Pulled Pork Quesadillas

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
Pinch of brown sugar
Leftover pulled pork
Barbecue sauce (Kansas City sweet style)
Flour tortillas
Shredded cheese (such as cheddar or pepper jack)
Cream cheese, softened
Butter, softened

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute until caramelized.  If the pan gets dry, add more oil as necessary.  Add the pinch of brown sugar and season with salt and pepper.

Once the onions are cooked, add the pulled pork and cook until heated through.  Stir in barbecue sauce (to taste) and remove from heat.

Heat a flat skillet over medium heat.  Add 1/2 tbsp of butter and allow to melt, coating surface of the skillet.  Spread cream cheese over one side of a tortilla.  Add the tortilla (cream cheese side up) to the pan.  Top with pork mixture and shredded cheese.  Cover with another tortilla that has also been covered with cream cheese, and spread 1/2 tbsp of butter on top of the tortilla. Cook for about 2-4 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom. Carefully but swiftly flip the quesadilla, cook for another 2-4 minutes on the other side, or until cheese is melted.

Repeat process until all the quesadillas have been cooked.  Serve with barbecue sauce for dipping.


Original link:
http://www.thenovicechefblog.com/2013/08/pulled-pork-and-caramelized-onion-quesadillas/