Fast things with tofu

I've gone through a cooking slump the last few weeks: It's been disgustingly hot, and I'm very busy getting ready for the new school year to start and for exams.  I have finally started cooking again, but first, here are a few really fast things I've thrown together in lieu of trying new legitimate recipes.

From the game of "which leftovers go together?"  Fried tofu with Panang Curry Paste, cilantro, and avocado, with brown rice.

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Superfast, kindofpadthai: sauteed tofu; then added garlic, ginger, and carrots; then added cabbage and tamari; then added cooked rice noodles and a mixture of peanut butter, garlic-chili paste, and water.  Topped with cilantro.

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In other news, my mom has mailed me all the books I had left at her house and never took with me to LA.  It's quite the selection of reading material!

Umami and Potatoes

This dinner was inspired by the tupperware full of mushroom gravy I found in my freezer, and the fact that a short-lived interest in making martinis at home (seriously, how can it be so tricky?) had landed me with a bottle of vermouth.  The result?  A savory, meat-and-potatoes kind of feast that even this girl's husband (what?!) would probably like.

I cook this kind of food so rarely, it's always a bit like diving into some unfamiliar ethnic cuisine.  "Umm...Thyme?  Sage?  I think that's right... what the fuck is marjoram?"  I've realized I'm some sort of acidity monster, and this meal felt almost cloyingly savory-meaty, redeemed by some lemon juice in the greens and the mushrooms as well as the vermouth.  I wonder what it is that determines these preferences.  Is it genetic?  Something that's happened biologically as a result of earlier dietary/lifestyle choices?  Or is it more aesthetic?  But then, how many factors contribute to one's aesthetic values?  Perhaps my investment in balance, brightness, dryness, and bitterness even have something to do with my personality, or my image of my self?  All I know is, give me the hoppiest IPA you've got, or a gin-and-soda with lime; I'd rather be sober than drink a hefeweizen or a chardonnay.

Overall, though, this was a delicious, easy feast, especially since the gravy was already made.  It tastes like Thanksgiving.

Breaded Tempeh with Sauteed Mushrooms, Roasted New Potatoes with Mushroom Gravy, and Sauteed Collards

 

The tempeh-mushroom combo was somewhat inspired by the tofu piccata I made last spring.  Going off this recipe for breaded tempeh, I steamed the tempeh 10 minutes, then dipped it in soymilk and panko breadcrumbs (successively) and broiled it a few minutes on each side.  For the mushrooms, I sauteed 1/2 chopped onion in olive oil, then added 3 cloves minced garlic, then 8 oz sliced mushrooms, then a pinch each sage, thyme, and black pepper; I deglazed the pot with a lot of vermouth, then let it simmer; added a little stock, and simmered until mushrooms were tender and most of the liquid was gone; then finished with a squeeze of lemon juice.

The collards were sauteed in olive oil with onion and garlic; then I added stock (instead of tamari--for that crazy "European" flavor) and finally lemon juice.

Finally, the potatoes, which were topped with mushroom gravy, were washed and cut into wedges, then boiled 5-10 min in salted water (until slightly pokeable with a fork); tossed with olive oil, rosemary, salt, and black pepper; and broiled several minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy.  I pre-boiled the potatoes so as to have the oven on for as short a time as possible in the heat!

Caprese Salad

Hearkening back to the time of the experimental fruit salads of last summer... I was like, I have tomatoes.  I have basil.  Let's make this work.

Fried tofu stands in here for the traditional caprese's mozzarella.  It's then jazzed up with lemon juice, scallions, red sea salt (a special house-sitting find!), and one last drizzle of olive oil.

Tofu Caprese Salad

Ingredients

oil

tofu, pressed and cut into little pieces

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tomatoes (cherry or otherwise), cut into bite-sized pieces

salt (I used this red sea salt)

lemon juice

olive oil

basil, chiffonade cut

scallions, minced

Instructions

1. Fry tofu pieces until golden brown. Set aside.
2. Combine tofu with remaining ingredients.  Adjust to taste, and place in fridge, allowing flavors to mix before serving.

Crispy Tempeh

I picked up some panko breadcrumbs at TJ's and had to play with them.

Breadcrumbs are magic. 

Crispy Tempeh

(from little house of veggies)

Ingredients

1 8-ounce pkg. of tempeh, cut into cubes

4 c water

1/4 c soy sauce

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1/2 c unsweetened nondairy milk

1/2 c whole wheat flour (didn't need this much)

1/2 c plain unseasoned breadcrumbs (used panko)

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

1. Simmer tempeh in tamari-seasoned water for about 20 min.  Remove and let cool.
2. Preheat oven to 425*.  Oil a baking dish.
3. Fill one bowl/plate with almond milk, one with the flour mixed with onion powder, chili powder, and garlic powder, and one with breadcrumbs.  Dip in milk, flour, milk again, and breadcrumbs.  Bake the tempeh for 18-20 minutes until crispy on the outside.  Serves about 2-3.

Spicy Noodles with Basil

Intrigued by a recipe that uses ketchup (as well as other premade sauces I didn't have), I made this noodle dish.  Basil, citrus, cucumber, and ginger freshened up the heavier flavors of sugar, peanut butter, and ketchup.  I found myself wishing for a greater variety and overall amount of veggies, but otherwise this was interesting and satisfying, and I think it could withstand a ton of tweaking based on your tastes and what you have lying around.  I also think rice stick noodles might be better, given that the flavors--insofar as they were anything--seemed more Thai than Japanese.

Spicy Noodles with Basil

(adapted from get sconed)

Ingredients

1 package tempeh, cut into pieces

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2-3 servings noodles (I used soba, but rice noodles might be better)

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2 TB tamari

1 TB wocerstershire

3 TB water

2 TB peanut butter

1 tsp ketchup

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp garlic chili paste

sesame oil

turmeric

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5 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 in piece ginger, minced

1-2 chilies, minced

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carrots, sliced

other vegetables

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juice of one lime

1 small cuke, peeled, diced, and divided

scallions, chopped and divided

basil, chopped and divided

Instructions

1. Steam tempeh, and then save water. Combine marinade/sauce ingredients (tamari through turmeric).
2. Marinate tempeh and cook noodles as directed.
3. In a frying pan or a wok, fry garlic, ginger, and chilies.
4. Pick the tempeh out of the marinade (reserving marinade), add said tempeh into the frying pan along with carrots and other veggies.
5. When tempeh is browned and veggies are slightly cooked, stir in noodles, leftover sauce/marinade, lime juice, and some each of cucumber, scallions, and basil.  Serve warm and top with additional cucumber, scallions, and basil.  Serves about 3.

Two One-Offs

I recently made a faster version of the green curry broth soup.  I didn't simmer the broth for all that long before straining it, and then I added stir-fried tofu, mushrooms, carrots, shredded collards, and udon noodles.  I garnished it with lime juice, scallions, cilantro, and sesame seeds... really, though, the possibilities for this soup are endless.

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Secondly.  Sometimes I want to make something savory for breakfast in the morning, but the sausagey recipes require sooo much measuring that I'm just not down.  But I've gotten around this problem by quadrupling the spices from the oats and rice sausage recipe so that you have a mixture of:

2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2-1 tsp ground black pepper
4 tsp ground sage
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp dried thyme
4 tsp fennel seeds

You'd then use about a heaping tablespoon for the original recipe, or less for smaller batches of stuff.

In this case, I then referred to this tempeh sausage squares recipe.  I mixed 1 TB tamari, 1/4 tsp liquid smoke, and about 1/4-1/2 c water with a heaping teaspoon of the above mixture.  Then I fried triangles of tempeh on both sides before pouring this mixture over the top, letting it cook off, etc., etc.

Then, because I happened to have some lying around, we topped off the tempeh with some mushroom gravy. Not the best photo, but this is one of the best (and fastest) homemade sausage things I've made yet.

Lapsang Tofu

When I acquire a new ingredient (or when I think of one I haven't used in a long time), I leave it out on the counter so that it watches me as I cook, silently guilting me into using it.  For some (kombu, for example), it takes a while.  But for these new additions to my cupboard, it didn't take long at all.

Yet another example of macro-Southern fusion, this recipe from seitan is my motor caught my eye because it uses not only Worcestershire sauce and smoked paprika, but also lapsong souchong tea!  Lapsong souchong has been a favorite of mine ever since 2004, when my friend Myer solemnly ushered us into his room in our old co-op house (RIP [the house, not Myer]) and poured us some of this mysterious smoky tea.

I used the cooking method from orange pan-glazed tofu or tempeh, and I used honey, but otherwise I kept the recipe pretty much the same.  I wanted less sweet, more salty, and some spicy in it, but the flavors were still really great.  And pairing it with the collard slaw was a natural choice.

Smoky Tofu with Lapsang Souchong

(from seitan is my motor)

Instructions

1 block extra firm or firm tofu

100 ml brewed lapsang souchong (about 1 teabag in 1/2 c hot water)
1 TB jerk sauce (substitute [vegan] Worcestershire sauce)
1 TB soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt, to taste

1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp honey or agave nectar (or less)
1 large garlic clove, pressed

consider: cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Press tofu and drain.  Cut into bite-sized pieces.
2. Combine remaining ingredients and set aside.
3. In a large skillet, fry tofu pieces on one side, then flip over and do the other side.  Tofu should be golden brown.  Then add mixture of remaining ingredients and simmer, spooning liquid over tofu pieces until it's mostly gone.  Serve hot or cold.  Serves about 3.

Panang Curry

In a space of a few days, I made a smoky enchilada sauce, some harissa, and this panang curry paste.  Then I realized I could never use all of these spicy red slops in a timely matter, and I relegated the enchilada sauce to the freezer.

This recipe is pretty different from your typical Thai-restaurant red or green curry.  It's milder and sweeter.  I thought it was actually a bit too sweet (there's a whole can of pineapple in it), but the flavors are interesting anyway, especially with the cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove in the curry paste.

In following this recipe from strawberry pepper, the biggest change I made was to use tempeh instead of seitan.  I'm a little sheepish about my aversion to seitan.  Mentally, I know that seitan is a nutritious and barely processed source of protein, but the texture is just too much like tough meat for me to be down with it.  And anyway, tempeh actually probably makes more geographical sense in this dish, given the (general) part of the world from which it comes.

I'm a pretty big fan of this recipe.  Coconut milk adds richness, but it's not overwhelming.  The spices are really interesting, and balanced out by the pineapple (though I thought it was a bit too pineappley).  Tempeh, cashews, and bean sprouts all add interesting textures.  In the recipe below, I erred on the side of not-spicy, since you can always add some cayenne or chili-garlic paste later.

 Tempeh and Pineapple Panang Curry

(adapted from strawberry pepper)

Ingredients

1/2 c cashews, unsalted

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1 tsp peanut oil

1/2 lb tempeh, cut into bite sized pieces

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1 c sliced scallions, extra for garnish (I used onion instead)

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2 cs pineapple chunks (or 1 can) (I think this was too much)

1 5 oz. can bamboo shoots

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1/4 c panang curry paste + 1 TB more if extra zing is desired (recipe follows)

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3/4 c coconut milk

3/4 c vegetable broth (or substitute water)

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4 oz. bean sprouts (about 1 c)

Instructions

1. On a skillet over medium-high heat, dry roast the cashews, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
2. Lower to a medium heat, and add tsp of peanut oil (If using a wok, turn the heat to high, and continue with the same directions). Sauté the tempeh for 5-10 minutes, until browned. Add the scallions/onions and sauté an additional 5 minutes.
3. Add the pineapple and bamboo shoots to the skillet or wok and sauté for 5 minutes.
4. Mix in the curry paste, and stir to coat evenly. Allow this to heat up and roast for a minute so that the flavors come out.
5. Add the coconut milk and vegetable broth (or water) and allow to cook for 10 minutes. Most of the liquid should absorb, and the rest should be thick and creamy.
6. Add the sprouts and roasted cashews, leaving some out to garnish with, if desired. Allow to cook for 3-5 minutes, then remove from heat.
7. Serve with rice and garnished with cashews, sprouts, and sliced scallions.  Serves 4.

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This curry paste was easy to make and rather unusual.  Again, as I was making this for the first time, I erred on the side of not-so-spicy.  If I make it again, I'll probably use another chili or two.

Panang Curry Paste

(from strawberry pepper)

Ingredients

2 medium shallots, quartered (I used 1/4 of a white onion, chopped)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c tomato paste

1 TB brown miso paste

2 TB soy sauce

1/4 c coconut milk

1 TB lime juice

1 heaping TB lemongrass, sliced

6-10 basil leaves (I might use more than 10 next time)

2-6 red chilies (I used 3 dried red chilies)

1 tsp ground ginger

1 TB paprika

2 TB chili powder (I used about 1 tsp of cayenne)

1 TB coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 TB cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Instructions

1. Put all ingredients into food processor and grind until smooth.
2. Refrigerate until ready for use. Will be better the day after making, when flavors have had a chance to meld.  Should last a couple of weeks in the fridge, or freeze for longer storage time.  Makes about 1 cup.

Green Curry Noodle Soup

How many green things are in this soup?

• serrano peppers
• scallions
• limes
• squash
• mustard greens
• collard greens
• turnip greens
• spinach
• cilantro
• mint
• basil
• (note to self: next time, garnish with diced avocado and make the lime-cilantro-avocado trifecta complete!)

Yes, friends, this is a very green soup.  It is also ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.

Fragrant, tangy, savory, interesting, filling, a complete meal, yet light-tasting... this goes in the soup hall of fame.

It's also a very flexible recipe.  You make the broth, adjust it to your taste, then strain it and add whatever you want.  This time, I omitted the lemongrass and the corn, reduced the chilies, subbed onion for shallot and mixed greens for spinach.  Then I added squash, heart of palm, and cooked soba noodles.  You know... you're not going to mess it up.

I also made some changes in the method: I toasted and ground the spices before adding them to the cooking oil, and I sauteed the tofu, squash, and heart of palm separately before adding them to the soup.

Green Curry Noodle Soup

(adapted from 101 cookbooks)

Ingredients

1 TB coriander seeds

1 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds

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2 TB olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped

2+ small serrano chile peppers, thinly sliced

a 1 1/2-inch piece of ginger, peeled then grated

8 green onions, trimmed, thinly sliced

1/8 tsp turmeric powder

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1/4 c lime juice and a bit of zest

6-7 c vegetable broth

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1 block tofu, cut into tiny cubes

3-4 long pieces heart of palm, cut into little bits

squash (I used 3 small Mexican squash but you could also use 1-2 zucchini), cut into half-moon slices

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4 handfuls of chopped greens (I used the Trader Joe's bagged variety of mustard greens, collards, etc)

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1-2 servings soba noodles, cooked

a small handful of each of the following: fresh mint, fresh cilantro, fresh basil, chopped

lime juice, salt, and cayenne to taste
optional diced avocado as a garnish

Instructions

1. Lightly toast cumin and coriander.  Grind.
2. In a large pot, heat olive oil, then add toasted spices.  Cook 30 seconds, then add onion, garlic, chilies, ginger, scallions, and turmeric.  Cook over medium high heat 5+ minutes.
3. Add lime juice, zest, and broth.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 5+ minutes.
4. In a frying pan, lightly saute tofu, heart of palm, and squash.  I first browned the tofu on its own before adding the other veggies, which I left still crisp.
5. Strain broth and discard onion etc.  Return broth to pot and bring back to a simmer.  Add saute mixture and chopped greens.  Simmer about 5 minutes (til squash is tender but not mush), then add cooked noodles and herbs.  Adjust flavors to taste and serve.  Perhaps garnish with avocado.  Serves about 6.

Berbere musings

Remember when I made berbere and it was awesome?  Yeah, me neither, or just barely.  But the stuff I made nearly ten months ago is still really fragrant and potent, sitting in my spice annex, waiting for me to return, like some Mariana lady in a moated grange (whatever that is).  Anyway, you may remember the berbere from an Ethiopian lentil stew, or even the less traditional berbere-encrusted tempeh.

And now...this special, spicy curry powder, with strong notes of fenugreek and cinnamon, tastes amazing on popcorn (with a little salt).  It goes on the popcorn topping list, along with dukkah and all the earlier toppings.

Berbere also rocked in this tempeh scramble, which I made by frying onions, garlic, and berbere, then adding tempeh and salt.  Done.  Pictured with whole wheat lavash and avocado.

But I have to be honest, folks.  This blog has been suffering.  Now, I've been cooking, sure.  I've made a lot of simple dishes like this one, or like fried greens with Indian spices, or rice pilafs.  And I've done some repeat recipes like dal with ginger and lime.  I tried out these Spaghetti-nos with mini lentil meatballs (and forgot to take any photos!).  But after two and a half years of a passionate relationship, this blog and I have been going through our first rough patch.  Inspiration and recommendations are always welcome, but more now than ever.

Experimental Sushi

Sooo recently I made these stuffed collard greens, and I had a ton of filling left over.  After just eating the filling on its own for a meal or two, I thought, yes! clearly I must make experimental sushi!  Never mind that it was 10:30 am.  So I did, and it was delicious!  It was actually better (and easier) than the original stuffed collards.  I still used standard miso-tahini sauce with these, and it went really well with the flavor of the nori. 

The experimental sushi was followed by a rather experimental haircut, which didn't go quite as well, but unlike most food things, haircuts can be works in progress, so it's okay.

Stuffed Collard Leaves

Recently I made this recipe for collard green wraps from epicurean vegan.  Well, more or less.  The recipe is so flexible that I had a ship of Theseus kind of situation.  I changed tofu for tempeh, scallions for onion, great northern beans for chickpeas and cannellinis, presumably white rice for brown rice, and salt for tamari.  In spirit, though, it was still the dish.

As usual (I didn't even bother to POST my grape leaves escapades) I had issues rolling the leaves.  Somehow I managed to be off by 90*, which I'm sure didn't help, because I was fighting against the big spine down the middle the whole way.  Still, this is how I did it:






Leaf with thick part of stem cut out, filling placed just so:

Bottom flaps folded up:

Sides folded in, then rolled up from the bottom:

Some of them stayed together just great, but others didn't.  As with my grape leaf adventures, I'm not sure it was worth the work.

I also used good ol' miso-tahini sauce instead of tahini-umeboshi.  I tried so hard to get into umeboshi back when I was trying to kick my zantac habit back in '08, but it never really stuck with me.  (by the by, reducing coffee intake and stress did the job just fine).  Miso-tahini is the most perfect condiment in the world, I think.  Its umamitasticness complements the bitterness of the collards, as does its wetness for the relative dryness of the filling.

One last thing: before you make the filling, ask yourself: do you really want 12 stuffed collards?  Do you have 12 collards?  After realizing that a few of the leaves in my bundle were ripped or too small, I only had 6.  The copious amount of leftover filling served several other functions, about which I'll post laster...

Stuffed Collard Leaves (shown with Miso-Tahini Sauce)

(from epicurean vegan)

Ingredients
12 collard green leaves, washed and patted dry
1-2 tsp olive oil 

8-oz firm tempeh, sliced into thin strips

1 onion, diced
2 tsp garlic, minced
3/4 lb (?) mushrooms, sliced

15oz canned beans, drained

1 c short grain brown rice, cooked

tamari and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat a little oil in a skillet.  Fry tempeh until medium browned.  Remove and set aside.  Heat some more oil.  Fry up onion, then add garlic and mushrooms.  Then add beans, rice, and tempeh.  Season with tamari and pepper, and set aside.

2. Roll up collards with filling as shown above.  Fasten with toothpicks, and steam for a few minutes until collards change color.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Serve with miso-tahini sauce.  Makes about 12 wraps (duh).

Spicy Coconut Lime Tofu

Recently I made this recipe for Spicy Coconut Lime Tofu from Bread without Butter, but instead of grilling I used the pan glazing method of this standby recipe for Orange Pan-Glazed Tofu/Tempeh.  Since I didn't have a long time to marinate the tofu, I thought that simmering the lightly fried tofu in the sauce might result in more flavor.  (By the way, due to the coconut milk and the chili paste, this was the weirdest looking marinade ever; it looked like melted strawberry ice cream with pieces of cilantro in it.  Which, come to think of it, actually sounds pretty great.)

I didn't have black bean garlic sauce, so I substituted miso paste to add saltiness and earthiness.

Spicy Coconut Lime Tofu

(adapted from bread without butter)

Ingredients

1/4 c brown rice vinegar

3 TB black bean garlic sauce (I used miso)

2 TB sambal oelek (I used chili-garlic paste)

1 1/4 c light coconut milk

1 TB agave nectar (I used honey)

1 tsp fresh ginger, slightly crushed

2 TB fresh cilantro, chopped

zest and juice of 1 lime

oil for pan-frying

19 oz firm or extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed (I used one package of firm tofu, which was actually 14 oz.)

Instructions

Combine all ingredients (except tofu and oil).  Cut tofu into small pieces.  Fry them in a skillet, flipping after a few minutes, until golden brown.  Pour in marinade, reduce heat, stir occasionally, flip occasionally, until most of the liquid is evaporated.  Serves 3-4.

Spicy Pasta Sauce and Tempeh Meatballs

A while back I went over to my friend Holly's place to make some pretty fancy spaghetti and meatballs.  Holly actually made spaghetti squash, as well as a spicy tomato sauce.  I improvised some gluten-free tempeh meatballs (see below), which ended up better than I'd hoped.  All so good!  I recently remade the sauce and the meatballs, so as to have photos to share with you.  The meatball recipe follows the sauce recipe.

It seems as though the magic of the pasta sauce was in the two ingredients I almost never use: red wine and marjoram.  In making the recipe this time, I roasted a pepper and threw it in as well.  I also used a different combination of tomatoes, because I did have fresh ones and I didn't have enough canned ones.  I think as long as the ratio of water to tomatoeyness stays the same, you can be pretty flexible.  This has messed me up in the past, however, when I made Robin Robertson's Chickpea and Green Bean Tagine with crushed tomatoes instead of diced and it got too syrupy.  Finally, I used 2-3 TB fresh basil instead of 3/4 tsp dried, adding it in later in the process.  Holly had decreased the pepper and increased the garlic, and I kept those changes, too.

Spicy Pasta Sauce

(adapted from epicurious)

Ingredients

3 TB olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6+ garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp dried basil (I used 2-3 TB fresh minced basil instead, and added it later on)
3/4 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper
2 28-oz cans Italian-style tomatoes + 1 c canned crushed tomatoes with added purée
*instead of the above, I used 28 oz canned diced tomatoes + 2.5 c fresh roma tomatoes, diced + 1/4 c tomato paste + some water*
1 flame-roasted bell pepper, diced (and most burnt parts removed)
1/2 c dry red wine
salt

Instructions

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, oregano, basil, marjoram and crushed red pepper. Cover and cook until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; simmer gently, uncovered, until sauce thickens and measures 8 cups total, breaking up tomatoes with spoon and stirring occasionally, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

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Well, hell if I know what a meatball tastes like, but these were great, in terms of both texture and taste.  And hey! they're gluten free.

I started with this recipe from sparkpeople, but I halved it, and then, going off this recipe from wheatlessandmeatless, I added oregano, onion, parsley, and "egg."  After my recent adventure with raw onions in falafel, I decided to sautee the onion first, and finally, we opted for pan-frying instead of baking.  I thought the balsamic vinegar might be weird, but I guess it does double duty of adding sweetness and acidity; it also mellowed out after the balls were cooked.

Tempeh Meatballs

Ingredients

8 oz tempeh

1/2 of an onion, finely chopped and sauteed in olive oil

1 TB + 2 TB olive oil, divided

1/4 c chickpea flour

scant 1/4 c balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp red chili flakes

3/8 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 TB oregano

2 TB fresh parsley, chopped (omitted the second time)

1-2 “eggs” (2 TB ground flax + 6 TB water)

Instructions

1. Cut the tempeh into small cubes and steam for 15 minutes.  Then set aside to cool.
2. Saute the onions in 1 TB olive oil until fragrant and lightly browned.
3. In a food processor, blend together everything, including the tempeh and the onions.  Add more liquid or chickpea flour as needed.  Then let the mixture sit for 5+ min.
4. Form the mixture into smallish balls and pan-fry in hot oil for a few minutes on each side.  Serve atop pasta and sauce.  Serves 3-4.

Piccata!!

Awkward confession: for all the number of times I have uttered the word "piccata!" in my life, I had never actually eaten it until this past weekend.  This is the kind of thing where if you don't know, you probably don't need to... but certainly, it was partly in honor of Beavis and Butthead's imminent return to television that I decided to finally try making some piccata.

Quite different from a lot of eye-talian food we eat in the US, piccata is made with a sauce of lemon, white wine, and capers (yes, I'm still trying to use that damn bottle of wine).  In this particular recipe from LA's Augusta Vegan Bakery, the puckery tartness of the lemon, capers, and wine are balanced out by chewy-crispy mushrooms and by tofu that has been lightly battered and fried.

Wikipedia informs me that whereas "In the United States it is usually served with a starch, such as pasta, polenta, or rice . . . in Italy this is almost never done as veal piccata is a "secondo" (entree) and would be served after the pasta (or other starch) course."  Oh well.  I also drink cappuccinos after 10 am (and made with soy milk, no less!).

Although it's a bit complicated, what's nice about this recipe is that the "meat" isn't really the main thing; you could totally substitute any number of things in place of tofu: chickpeas, tempeh, seitan (but no thanks), fish, chicken.  What's important is the combination of temperatures, tastes, and textures.

I didn't change too much here.  I thought cornstarch might work better than Ener-G egg replacer, so I did that.  Also, Jon's doesn't carry shiitake mushrooms, and the 4 blocks to the Asian markets seemed particularly far, so I used cremini instead.  Actually, it was a little funny how both of the recipes I made for this dinner (the other of which is a mushroom, lentil, and tomato salad) used cremini mushrooms, but they were cut and cooked in different ways, so it didn't seem too redundant.

If--no, when--I make this again, I'll aim for a less sour sauce.  My dinner guest said she liked it just fine, but I thought that the sauce was too lemony, especially when paired with arugula, which is itself pretty bitter.  The more I cook, the more I realize that every dish or every meal is just about balance between yin and yang textures, flavors, colors, and sometimes temperatures.

But really, this seems like a dish that you should do according to your taste and your whims, not following a recipe, and perhaps sampling generously from the wine as you go along.  Next time.

Tofu Picatta with Mushrooms

(from Augusta Vegan Bakery)

Ingredients

for the tofu:

2 TB canola oil

1 block extra firm tofu, sliced and pressed

1/2 c water with 1/2 TB cornstarch dissolved in it

1/2 c flour

*

for the mushrooms:

2 TB Earth Balance 

3 c shiitake mushrooms, sliced (I used cremini out of necessity)

1 TB dry white wine

1 TB lemon juice

pinch salt

*

for the sauce:

1/2 c dry white wine (or more)

1/2 c vegetable broth (or more)

1/8 tsp salt

1/3 c lemon juice (or less)

2 tsp capers

1 TB Earth Balance

1 TB flour

*

several cups pasta, cooked

2-3 c arugula

3 TB parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. You will need two mediumish frying pans, plus a pot for the pasta.  I used a saucier pan for the tofu/sauce instead of a normal fry pan.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan.  Dip tofu slabs in cornstarch liquid, then dredge in flour, and then fry for a few minutes on each side until lightly browned.  Remove from pan and put in oven to keep warm.
3. Deglaze the same pan with the wine and stock.  Reduce heat to low and simmer about 5 minutes.
4. In the second frying pan, melt the earth balance, then fry the mushrooms over medium heat until soft (about 5+ minutes).  Add the wine, lemon juice, and salt, and cook until the liquid is gone.  Then reduce heat to low and continue cooking until mushrooms are chewy and slightly crispy.
5. Meanwhile, finish the sauce.  Add the salt, lemon juice, and capers, then reduce heat to low.  Whisk in the earth balance, then carefully whisk in the flour.  Keep cooking on low until everything is done; thin with water if desired.
6. Adjust seasonings, then serve.  Put things on the plate in this order: greens, pasta, tofu, sauce, mushrooms, parsley.  Serves about 4. 

Jalapeno and Herb Roasted Tempeh

The other day I made this Jalapeno and Herb Roasted Tempeh and Broccoli from get sconed.  The original recipe called for making a paste and a sauce and combining them later on, but I couldn't quite figure out which thing was which and when you added one.  So I just combined everything at once.  I also got through the entire recipe before realizing it was for 16 oz of tempeh... Most packages of tempeh are only 8 oz, and accordingly and many recipes are for 8 oz as well.  So I have also halved the recipe here (and stashed the leftover sauce in my fridge).

How was it?  Very tasty, tender, and moist, but not as spicy or as herby as I'd have hoped.  Of the jalapeno, the oregano, and the epazote, the oregano definitely dominated, and I had actually halved it.  More than anything the wine adds a lot to the flavor, which is good because I considered not using it, having to open up a bottle just for this recipe and now needing to find other things in which to use the rest of it.  I'll drink beer till the cows come home, but I'd rather drink water than most wines.

 

Jalapeno and Herb Roasted Tempeh and Broccoli

(adapted from get sconed)

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, pressed

2+ TB extra virgin olive oil

1/2-1 tsp dried oregano (or handful of fresh), crumbled

small handful fresh basil

1 jalapeno – sliced (less if you don't want spicy)

1/8 teaspoon salt

generous amount of freshly ground black pepper

1/2 TB agave or honey

1 1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice

pinch nutritional yeast

1/2 c stock

1/4 c white wine

1 TB soy sauce

*

8 ounces tempeh, sliced into large triangles

1 bunch of broccoli, divided. Slice the stalks thinly.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375*F.
2. Combine all the ingredients besides tempeh and broccoli.  Pour them into an 8x8 glass casserole dish.  Immerse the tempeh triangles into the liquid. Immediately flip over.
4. Add the sliced jalapeno and bake for 20 minutes.
5. Increase the heat to 400F. Remove the dish from the oven.
6. Use a spatula to flip the tempeh pieces over.
7. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.

8. Remove the pan from the oven. Add the broccoli and drizzle with additional baking liquid. If you are low on liquid, add a few tablespoons of additional broth.

9. Roast an additional 15 minutes, then remove from oven and serve as desired.  Serves 2.

Chili-Mustard-Tamarind-Glazed Tofu

My first experiment in the "use up some of that damn dry mustard" project was this chili glaze I found on epicurious.  I was excited because of the combination of spicy chilies with tangy mustard and tamarind.  Due to a situation of supply and demand, I skimped a bit on the tamarind and upped the mustard.  I witnessed first hand the binding power of dry mustard: the sauce got a bit thicker.  I used the method from my recipe for marinated tofu, pressing the tofu first and then cooking slabs of tofu in the sauce in the oven for a long time until the liquid was gone.

But I didn't like it very much.  I think this recipe could be really great, but two things were problems: first, there is no salt in this recipe, which left it tasting just sort of... off.  Secondly, I wanted to use the tofu later, cold, for sandwiches and salads and the like, and the honey crystallized and got crunchy!  I think a version that uses some tamari and far less sugar could be really great, but this version wasn't, at least not on tofu.

Chili-Mustard-Tamarind-Glazed Tofu

(glaze recipe adapted from epicurious)

Ingredients

1 block firm tofu (pressed is optional)

5 dried chilies, toasted and ground

3/4-1 c hot water

1 1/2 TB tamarind paste

1/2 c fresh orange juice

1 1/2 TB fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2 TB red wine vinegar

2 TB olive oil

2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 cup honey (or agave)

Instructions

Heat oven to 350*.  Combine marinade ingredients (everything except the tofu).  Cut block of tofu into about 12 slabs (including one width-wise cut).  Place slabs on the bottom of a baking dish, then pour sauce over the top.  Bake for about an hour, flipping the tofu several times during cooking, until most of the liquid is gone.

 *

In other news, my living room is a very new color!  Goodbye, greenish-beige, and hello, coziness!  This also means I can never move out.

Before:

After:

Obviously, I'm still trying out colors around the corner in the kitchen...

General Tso's Tofu

What an authentic inauthentic recipe!  It tastes just like the real thing... even if the "real thing" here is the chicken I remember getting from the Leann Chin buffet as a child.  You can read more about the murky, recent, and largely American history of the General Tso's Chicken on salon.com or wikipedia.

This recipe from chic vegan was like tofu candy: a delicious mixture of textures and tastes.  And--although this might surprise you about American Chinese food--it's not very healthy, at least by my standards.  The recipe uses lots of oil and quite a bit of sugar (though I was able to halve the sugar with no problem), and tons of cornstarch, which I realized increases the calorie content (as well as the deliciousness content) by a ton.  I believe we're talking like over 300 calories of cornstarch per serving.

But the delicate battered crispiness is not to be beaten!  The sauce is sweet but still flavorful (use a lot of pepper, though).  Besides halving the sugar, I also skimped a bit on cornstarch, used seasoned rice vinegar instead of white vinegar, and skipped the sherry originally called for.  This recipe worked really well.  It looks a bit complicated, but if you mise everything en place before starting, you'll see that it actually doesn't have that many steps.

Cornstarch-dredged tofu cubes starting to fry

Tofu added back to the sauce at the end

General Tso's Tofu
(adapted from Chic Vegan)

Instructions
1 (12-oz) block firm tofu, in 1″ cubes (I pressed it for a while before using)
1 egg equivalent (e.g., EnerG Egg Replacer), prepared
3 TB + 2 TB water, divided
scant 3/4 c + 1 TB cornstarch, divided
vegetable oil for frying + 3 TB vegetable oil, divided
3 green onions, chopped
1 TB minced ginger
1 TB minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
2/3 c vegetable stock

2 TB granulated sugar
2 TB soy sauce
1 TB seasoned rice vinegar
red pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Mix the egg replacer as specified on the box and add an additional 3 TB water.  Dip tofu in egg replacer mixture and coat completely.  Transfer to a second bowl.  Sprinkle 3/4 c cornstarch over tofu and coat completely.  Watch out that the cornstarch doesn’t clump up at the bottom of the bowl.
2. Heat oil in pan and fry tofu pieces until golden. Drain excess oil. Heat 3 TB vegetable oil in pan on medium heat.  Add green onions, ginger, and garlic; cook for about 2 minutes.  Be careful not to burn garlic.
3. Add vegetable stock, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and red pepper.
4. Mix 2 TB water with 1 TB cornstarch and pour into mixture stirring well.  Add fried tofu and coat evenly.  Serve immediately with steamed broccoli over your choice of rice.  Serves about 3.

Garlicky Eggplant Pasta with Tofu and Kale, by way of Bulgaria

My first trip back to the grocery store in LA yielded exciting things.  I got this big jar of "Eggplant 'Caviar' Spread" from Bulgaria.  Now, I've had an eggplant spread or two in my day, and the ingredients here looked like nothing surprising:

 

Nothing but eggplant, carrots, comato concentrate, oil, onion, sugar, salt, and parsley.  Not even the tricky "spices" or "natural flavors."

But somehow these simple ingredients managed to taste freakily like spaghetti-o's, except in a healthy way.  How do they do this?  I'm totally mystified.  I'm sure it's not the eggplant.

Ohhh.  And I just googled the ingredients (ew) and am more mystified than ever.  The only shared ingredient is tomato concentrate.

Anyway, first I thought I'd make sandwiches out of this stuff.  I don't really eat a lot of sandwiches, but staying with John and Celeste last week got me thinking more about sandwiches.  I also decided that maybe Vegenaise (only ingredients: Canola Oil, Filtered Water, Apple Cider Vinegar, Brown Rice Syrup, Soy Protein, Sea Salt, Lemon Juice, and Mustard Flour) isn't really as creepy as I'd thought.  John and Celeste are devotees of Vegenaise.

So, Exhibit A: Really good sandwich on sprouted rye bread with vegenaise, avocado, sprouts, raw mustard greens, and eggplant spread.  I forgot to take a photo.

Exhibit B?  I thought I'd play up the spaghetti-o's factor by using it as a sauce rather than as a spread.  This was really good, as well as pretty easy and a balanced meal.  Did you know that whole wheat pasta has more protein and more fiber than brown rice?
  

Garlicky Eggplant Pasta with Tofu and Kale

Ingredients

2-3 servings whole wheat rotelle pasta (or similar)

1 bunch kale, destemmed and chopped

canola oil

4-5 cloves garlic, pressed

1 block tofu, pressed and cut into bite-sized pieces

tamari

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/3 jar eggplant spread (pasta sauce would work, too)

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to directions in lots of water.  When 2-3 minutes remain on the pasta, throw in kale as well.  Finish cooking, then drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.  Add garlic and cook a few minutes, then add tofu and fry, stirring not too frequently, until sides are golden and slightly crispy.  It's okay if pieces stick to the bottom.
3. Add a small splash of tamari, stir, then reduce heat to low.  Add pasta, kale, and lemon juice to skillet; mix well.  Then stir in eggplant spread a bit at a time, to desired sauciness.  Serve warm.  Serves about 3.