*weekly* recipe: honey-glazed tofu with bok choy

glazed tofu in pan
Originally uploaded by thinkist.

I just finished yet another paper, and my reward is a blog post. Maybe that sounds lame, but hey, you gotta have something to look forward to. And, maybe some of you will benefit . . . works out all the way around!

So, here is an awesome recipe from >poco-cocoa

I have made so many things from her blog. This honey-glazed tofu was so yummy! I made the bok-choy too, but forgot to take a picture once everything was plated.

Enjoy!
Gingered Bok Choy

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger (one small piece)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (2 medium cloves)
1 head bok choy, sliced, stems and leaves separated
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and saute 1 to 2 minutes, until garlic is just golden. Add bok choy stems, soy sauce, and water, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until stems are just tender. Add bok choy leaves and cilantro, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Serve with tofu and brown rice.

Makes 2 to 3 servings.

Source: poco-cocoa.

Honey-Glazed Tofu

1 (12-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained, blotted dry, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon sriracha sauce (you may want to add more, mine wasn’t spicy at all)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu in one layer, and cook without stirring for 4 to 5 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly browned. Flip pieces over and brown at least one other side, about 4 to 5 minutes more.

While tofu is cooking, whisk together remaining ingredients. Once tofu is browned, add honey mixture to the pan. Shake and stir until the tofu is evenly coated, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens up a bit and glazes the tofu.

Makes 2 to 3 servings.

Source: poco-cocoa.

poco-cocoa's original post

tags: food tofu honey vegetarian bok-choy recipe

weekly recipe: dual dinner (veg and non-veg)

For this week's recipe post, I thought I would include recipes which can easily be adapted to suit vegetarian or non-vegetarian dietary choices. See, I am vegetarian and my hunny, well, she's not. And, while she does enjoy all the veggie food I cook, once in a while, I like to surprise her with something she'd really like (well, not quite a hamburger!) - salmon.

The recipes for this week are Spice-Crusted Tofu (or Salmon), adapted from poco-cocoa, and Black-Eyed Peas with Rainbow Chard, adpated from Cooking Light.

For the tofu or salmon, follow the recipe above with slight alterations for the salmon.

Salmon Alterations to Tofu Recipe
1. Dust the spice-mixture on the salmon in a foil-lined pan.

dusting the salmon
Originally uploaded by thinkist.

2. Bake at 350 degrees F, until almost done. Not completely, since you will be baking for slightly longer in the next step.
3. Pour honey and lemon mixture over salmon and bake 5 more minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
4. Then, sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and enjoy with greens!

Black-Eyed Peas with Rainbow Chard

4c vegetable broth
3c water
2c fresh black-eyed peas
2T butter
2c finely chopped red onion
1lb coarsely chopped rainbow chard (or any other chard if you can't find rainbow)
1/2t pepper
1T hot sauce

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a Dutch ove; bring to boil.
2. Redcue heat and simmer, partially covered for 30 mins or until tender (ok, mine took @ 45 min to 1 hr!)
3. Remove from heat.
4. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion. Saute 5 mins.
5. Add chard and pepper. Saute 3 mins or unitl wilted.

cooking greens
Originally uploaded by thinkist.

6. Stir in vinegar.
7. Add onion mixture to peas. Stir.

Hope you enjoy this week's recipe posting.

tags: food recipe dinner vegetarian tofu salmon weekly recipe

weekly recipe(s): cookies

This week, I made two different types of cookies when I couldn't decide what to bring to my host's house. I was torn, chocolate, not chocolate, what if someone doesn't like nuts? Growing up in a house of very picky eaters, I can dream up more dislike than you can imagine. So, I settled on two recipes I found at Martha Stewart's website: Ginger Lemon Cookies and Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti. I made some adjustments to my liking. They turned out great, and were really a good complement, in terms of flavor and look, to one another. Enjoy! And, let me know how they turn out.

Ginger Lemon Cookies

ginger lemon cookies, 2006
Originally uploaded by thinkist.

Makes 3 dozen (if you measure VERY precisely when shaping cookies, and stick to small cookies!)

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 large egg
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, cut into 1/8-inch dice

1. Heat oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl twice. Add egg; mix on high speed to combine. Add zest; mix to combine.

2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, ground ginger, baking soda, salt, and crystallized ginger; add to butter mixture. Mix on medium-low speed to combine, about 20 seconds.

3. Using two spoons, drop about 2 teaspoons of batter on baking sheet; repeat, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 7 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Verdict: Great ginger taste. Maybe would've been even better with some white chocolate chips. Very light, airy cookie. They go very well with tea.


Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti

Makes about 12
These biscotti are baked for a shorter time, making them softer than the traditional version.

chocolate pistachio biscotti pistachios, 2006
Originally uploaded by thinkist.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for baking sheet
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for baking sheet
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup shelled pistachio nuts (unsalted)
1/2 cup carob chips

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Butter and flour a baking sheet; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs; beat until well combined, scraping down sides of bowl if necessary. Add flour mixture, and stir to form a stiff dough, as seen in picture. Stir in pistachios and carob chips.

chocolate pistachio biscotti dough, 2006
Originally uploaded by thinkist.

3. Transfer dough to prepared baking sheet; form into a slightly flattened log, about 12 by 4 inches. Bake until slightly firm, about 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300º.

4. On a cutting board, using a sharp serrated knife, cut biscotti diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices. Arrange biscotti, cut sides down, on baking sheet, and bake until crisp but still slightly soft in the center, about 8 minutes.

Verdict: They turned out so much better than I expected. The carob chips tasted great. They were very yummy with coffee the next morning for breakfast :)


chocolate pistachio biscotti1, 2006
Originally uploaded by thinkist.






tags: sweets cookies ginger lemon chocolate pistachio nuts biscotti tea coffee recipe food weekly recipe

peaches, waffles and very busy hands

Waffles with Blueberry and Red Currant Sauce
Originally uploaded by creampuffsinvenice.

Due to my move up north, I have come to the realization that my cooking is WAY better than most of the restaurants here! Big statement from someone who loves to go out to eat, as much as I like to cook.

So, I've been in the kitchen cooking up a storm, and cranking out some great food. I've been experimenting with recipes to adapt to new ingredients and my new vegetarian, almost leaning vegan, food preferences.

I went to the bookstore to get a glimpse inside some veggie cook books, and I was disappointed in that arena too. Where are all the pictures? I need pictures!

With that said, I will start posting, once a week, about a new recipe. This may or may not turn into a separate food blog ( don't know that I have THAT much time on my hands).

Weigh in, and let me know what you think.

Here's my very best recipe for Vegan Waffles with Peach Syrup (adapted from The New Vegan cookbook)

Notes: Make the syrup while making the waffles, so everything is ready at the same time. The picture included in this post is not my own, but it is a wonderful picture of waffles, so there you go! More of my own pictures when I finish moving in:)

Yield: @6 belgian waffles, depending on size of waffle iron

WAFFLES

1 1/3 c soymilk
1 1/2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4c whole wheat flour
1/2c cornmeal
3/4 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t cinnamon
3 T canola oil
2 T lite pancake syrup

Directions:
1. In a 2c liquid measure, combine the soymilk and the lemon juice. Set aside, and don't worry, the curdling is expected.

2. Sift the flour, cornmeal, salt, bakin soda, baking powder, and cinnamon into a large bowl.

3. Stir the oil and maple syrup into the soymilk.

4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the liquid ingredients. Stir with a fork just until blended. The batter should be medium-thick, but still pourable. Add more soymilk or flour to get it to the right consistency.

5. When the waffle iron is ready, mist with pan spray. Pour a generous 1/2 c of batter onto iron and bake till crisp. It usually takes mine about 5 -6 minutes.

6. Transfer to wire cooling rack, serve warm. ( I often reheat mine in the waffle iron because I like my waffles steamin hot :)

SYRUP
1 peach
1 T apricot jam
1 T lemon juice
1/4 c lite syrup
1/4 to 1/2 t pepper

1. Blend ingredients in a food processor or a blender.

2. Transfer to a small saucepan, and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce to simmer and cook 15 minutes.

4. Strain through a sieve. (Not absolutely necessary if you don't feel like it, but it gives it a much more silky consistency)

the Verdict:

I have made these 3 times in the 3 weeks we have lived in our new house. In Lisa's words, "they're a keeper!"

I love to freeze any leftovers and pop them in the toaster for a weekday breakfast, yummy, yummy :)

ENJOY!

waffles breakfast brunch vegan recipe peach syrup