Sunday, May 18, 2014

Tofu with Spicy Orange Sauce

A great sauce that goes well with tofu, grilled chicken or pork.  Vary the intensity of the heat by adjusting the amount of red pepper flakes that you use.


Sauce:
3/4 C. Orange Juice
 3 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
 1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
 2 tsp. Orange Peel, finely grated
 1/2 tsp. Ginger, minced
 1 tsp. Sesame Oil
 ½ tsp. Crushed red pepper

Tofu Extra firm
Cornstarch
Vegetable oil

Slice tofu into 1 x 1 ½ inch cubes. Place on paper towels. Cover with additional paper towels. Press gently but firmly to remove moisture. Replace the wet towels with dry towels. Place a large heavy plate on top of the towels and place in the fridge to continue to press the tofu.
In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients for the sauce. Bring to a simmer, stirring to combine all ingredients. Turn the heat to low and allow the sauce to thicken slightly. Press the tofu again with dry towels to remove as much moisture as you can. Place tofu in large zip lock bag. Add roughly ¼ C. of cornstarch to bag. Shake to coat tofu pieces. Shake off excess cornstarch. Heat several cups of oil in a large heavy deep pan to around 350 degrees. In batches, carefully place tofu in the oil, avoiding overcrowding. Fry until tofu is golden and floats to the top of the oil. Remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on paper towels.
Once all of the tofu is cooked, toss with the sauce.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Drink - Strawberry Slushies

Nice fruity summer drink without being overly sweet.
 


2 C. Strawberries, hulled
750 ml. Dry Riesling
½ tsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
4 Tbsp. Sugar

Chill 1 cup of the Riesling in the refrigerator. Pour remaining wine in a blender. Add the strawberries, lemon juice and sugar. Puree. Pour mixture in a glass dish and place in freezer. Let the mixture sit in the fridge until frozen. Add back to the blender along with the chilled wine and puree.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Ramp Pasta with Morels

The recipe below is a good basic Alfredo sauce that is excellent as is, or can be altered by adding chopped fresh herbs, red pepper flakes or try adding grilled chicken and steamed vegetables with the pasta. You can also replace some of the mozzarella with pepper jack cheese for a little more heat.
The pasta we used in the photo was a gift. It is made with ramps and tofu from a company called Integration Acres. It truly has a unique flavor and texture.

 
 

Sauce:
½ C. Butter
2 Garlic cloves, minced
½ C. Parmesan
2 C. Heavy Cream
¼ tsp. White Pepper
¾ C. Mozzarella, shredded

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, cream and pepper. Bring to a low simmer. Add Parmesan and stir until smooth. Add mozzarella. Stir constantly until smooth. Season sauce with additional pepper and salt to taste. Serve over cooked noodles.

For the Morels:
Morels
Butter
Flour

Slice the morels in half lengthwise. Soak overnight in salted water in a large bowl in the refrigerator. Drain and pat dry on paper towels. Melt butter in a large skillet. Dredge morels in flour and fry in batches in the skillet over medium heat until crispy. Flip and fry the other side. Drain on paper towels.
 

 


Monday, May 12, 2014

Tofu and Vegetables with Stir Fry Sauce

Over the past few years, I have really come to appreciate tofu.  It is a great source of protein, low in calories and fat and does not contain any cholesterol.  It is available in many different textures, from silken, soft, firm, or extra firm.  For a crispy exterior for this recipe, make sure you buy the extra firm variety and press as much water out of it as you can.  Tofu has very little taste on its own, so it soaks up the flavor of whatever sauce you put on it.

 

Sauce:
2/3 C. Soy Sauce
1/2 C. Chicken Broth
1/3 C. Rice Vinegar
3 1/2 Tbsp. Sugar
1/2 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp. Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. Ginger, minced
2 Tbsp. Cornstarch

1 pkg. Extra Firm Tofu
1 Onion, Chopped
2 – 3 Carrots, peeled and sliced
2 C. Broccoli Florets
Cornstarch
Vegetable oil

Slice tofu into 1 x 1 ½ inch cubes. Place on paper towels. Cover with additional paper towels. Press gently but firmly to remove moisture. Replace the wet towels with dry towels. Place a large heavy plate on top of the towels and place in the fridge to continue to press the tofu while you chop the vegetables and make the sauce.
In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients for the sauce. Bring to a low boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Turn the heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer and thicken slightly. Add the vegetables to a large skillet. Add 3 -4 Tbsp. of water and cover with a tight fitting lid. Heat the skillet to medium high heat and steam the vegetables until crisp tender adding more water as necessary.
While the vegetables are cooking prep the tofu. Press again with dry towels to remove as much moisture as you can. Place tofu in large zip lock bag. Add roughly ¼ C. of cornstarch to bag. Shake to coat tofu pieces. Shake off excess cornstarch. Heat several cups of oil in a large heavy deep pan to around 350 degrees. In batches, carefully place tofu in the oil, avoiding overcrowding. Fry until tofu is golden and floats to the top of the oil. Remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on paper towels.
Once all of the tofu is cooked, add to the skillet with the vegetables. Pour in the sauce and toss to coat everything.