Meatless Monday: Crispy Tofu with Spring Vegetables

We're not big meat eaters at Chez Gourmess. Don't get me wrong, a great burger or a juicy steak is a wonderful treat -- but those delights aren't on our weekly menu. But what is? Tofu, at least once a week. And not just for Meatless Monday, although that's a pretty good excuse to make the recipe below, tonight.

If you haven't tried tofu yet, what are you waiting for? When seared in a bit of sesame oil, the combo of crispy outside and creamy inside is to die for. Just add the veggies in your crisper and some simple Asian seasonings -- you can't really go wrong. (Tofu is pretty hard to screw up.) 

Note: I like to buy my tofu extra firm and the whole block -- not cubed, so I can slice it to my preference/recipe. Another trick is to drain/press it before use to prevent soggy tofu, which nobody likes. To do this, place the tofu on paper towels and top with a layer of more towels. Press down gently to remove water, then replace paper towels. Place a plate or small cutting board weighted down with a can of soup (or whatever you have) on the top layer of new towels, and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Then, toss the towels and use the tofu.

Ready to give it a try? Here's an easy and tasty recipe:

Crispy Tofu with Spring Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 14 oz. package extra firm tofu

1 cup carrots

1 cup snow peas

1 bunch asparagus

1 TBS vegetable oil

2 TBS dark sesame oil

1 TBS minced ginger

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBS dark soy sauce

1 TBS light soy sauce

1 TBS rice vinegar

2-3 tsp brown sugar

Red pepper flakes

2 TBS sesame seeds 

Minimal MESS/ingredients/clean-up: Category 2

To Do:

• Drain/press the tofu (see above).
• While  the tofu drains, chop the carrots (I used baby carrots) into bite-sized pieces, halve the snow peas, and trim the bottom end of the asparagus, then chop into 1 inch pieces.

• Cut the drained tofu into 1/2 inch thick slices, then cut those slices into 3-inch x 1.5-inch inch pieces.
• Heat the vegetable oil and 1 TBS of the sesame oil in a large rounded skillet or wok until hot.
• Carefully add the tofu pieces and cook about 8 minutes, or until golden brown on all sides, gently shaking the pan once or twice. 
• Remove the tofu from the pan and drain on paper towels.
• Add the garlic, ginger, carrots and asparagus to the pan and cook over medium heat, until tender, but still crisp. Add the snow peas and lower heat to medium-low.
• In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 1 TBS of sesame oil, the soy sauces, rice vinegar, brown sugar, a couple pinches of red pepper flakes, and 1 tsp of sesame seeds until combined, then pour over the veggies.

• Stir together, then return the tofu to the pan and cook 2-3 minutes more, until heated through.
• Sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds and serve with brown rice and extra soy sauce on the side.

xoxo

Drunken Pasta

Leftover bottle of wine? Don't despair, Gourmess is here.

There was a very sad sight in our kitchen: A nearly-full, opened bottle of red wine that was apparently forgotten about and no longer great for drinking. I put the bottle in the fridge thinking I could use it in a stew or perhaps a batch of sub-par sangria, but then I remembered hearing someone talk about boiling wine, and I thought, "Let's boil the wine and make pasta!" Hence, this Drunken Pasta recipe was born.

Drunken Pasta
Ingredients:
2 quarts water
1 bottle red wine
1 lb. dry spaghetti or other favorite pasta (I used whole wheat spaghetti)
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
6 slices of thick-cut bacon, diced
1TBS olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 TBS butter
1 small onion, finely diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 heaping TBS of tomato paste
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
2 TBS fresh basil, chopped
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Minimal MESS/ingredients/clean-up: Category 1

To Do:

• Bring the water and the wine to a boil in a large pot. Be careful when you add the pasta! The wine may cause the liquid to bubble up, so stand back. (Don't overfill your pot.)
• Cook the pasta until it s al dente, then drain it (do not rinse!) and set aside, keeping about 1 cup of the pasta liquid. 
• Heat the pecans in a small pan over the stove, stirring frequently, until toasted. Set aside.
• In a large pan (big enough to hold the pasta), cook the bacon until crispy, then remove the bacon from the pan and set aside, but keep warm.
• Add 1 TBS of olive oil and the butter to the pan with the bacon drippings, then sauté the onion and garlic over medium-high heat until soft and starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and the reserved pasta water, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Let sauce reduce a bit (about 2 minutes), then gently add the pasta and mix everything together. 
• Remove from heat. Stir in the bacon, 1/4 cup of the goat cheese, and all of the toasted pecans. 
• Transfer to individual bowls, then top each serving with a drizzle or two of olive oil, a bit more goat cheese, a sprinkle of basil, and a pinch of red pepper flakes, if using.

Cheers!
xoxo

Do You Want Fries With That?

French fries just might be the perfect side dish. Crispy and salty on the outside, fluffy and a hint of sweet on the inside. I mean, is there anything better than a burger and fries? (Steak frites maybe?) And what about all of the different kinds of fries? Shoestring? Steak fries? Curly fries? Hand-cut? Skin on? And fries topped with chili and/or melted, gooey cheese? The favorite in our house: Disco Fries (mozzarella and brown gravy over steak fries). Yum.

But, when one is hankering for fries and doesn't have any potatoes in the house, what does one do? She makes...zucchini fries! Before you get all upset, please note that in no way am I advocating that you replace the beloved french fried potato with zucchini, but in a pinch, zucchini fries are a delicious, healthy-ish alternative. And, zucchini fries are better than no fries, am I right?

In all seriousness, these are quite tasty. I added some of my favorite seasonings to the bread crumbs for a bit of zing, and I whisked in a couple tablespoons of seltzer with the eggs for a lighter coating. These are super simple to prepare, and they'll be devoured in less than 5 minutes. Feel free to play with the recipe -- use your favorite spices instead of mine. (Try adding a tablespoon or two of grated Parmesan and a couple teaspoons of Italian Herb mix to the bread crumbs and serve with a side of marinara sauce. Or, use garlic powder and ginger powder with the bread crumbs and add a dash or two of soy sauce to the egg mixture, then serve with hoisin for dipping.) Whatever you choose, I think you'll agree that this is a terrific veggie side dish. 

Zingy Zucchini Fries

Ingredients:

Olive oil cooking spray

2-3 medium zucchini

2 large eggs

1-2 TBS seltzer

1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

1-2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1 TBS smoked paprika

Kosher salt

Minimal MESS/ingredients/clean-up: Category 1

To Do:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Line baking sheet with foil and coat with olive oil spray.
• Wash/dry zucchini and cut off the ends.  Slice each in half lengthwise, then slice each half lengthwise again into 3-4 equal slices, depending on size of zucchini. Then, cut those slices in half (into long strips about an inch or so wide), and finally, cut those strips into 4-5 inch pieces and set aside.

• In a large pie plate or other shallow dish, whisk together the eggs and seltzer until foamy. 
• In a similar sized dish, mix together the bread crumbs, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, and a couple pinches of salt.

• Take each zucchini piece and coat in the egg mixture, letting any excess drip off before coating in the breadcrumb mixture, them place on the foiled baking sheet.

• Spray lightly with the olive oil cooking spray then bake for about 20-25 minutes until browned and crunchy on all sides.

• Sprinkle with a bit more salt and transfer to a serving plate. (Line with paper towels if you want easier clean-up.) Serve with your favorite condiments/dips. Greek yogurt mixed with a pinch of paprika, garlic, and herbs works well.

xoxo