Tonight's dinner was chicken fried tofu and spicy sweet potato oven fries. YUM!
First the oven fries:
1 sweet potato, cut into fry-sized sticks
salt
pepper
cinnamon
1 chipotle finely minced (from a can, in adobo sauce)
peanut oil
Preheat the oven to 450F. Put the sweet potato sticks into a microwave safe bowl and cover with water. Microwave on high for 6-10 minutes, until the sweet potato is cooked, but firm. Drain thoroughly and allow to cool on a rack. While cooling, sprinkle liberally with salt and black pepper, sprinkle very lightly with cinnamon. After cooling, put into a bowl and add the chipotle, gently tossing with your fingers until thoroughly spread out on the fries. Pour enough oil to lightly cover the fries and again toss with your fingers until covered. Put the rack into a cookie sheet and spread the fries out onto the rack again. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until crisp.
Chicken Fried Tofu Steak
1 block of Extra Firm Tofu
soy
rice vinegar
veggie worchestershire sauce
flour
salt
pepper
cayenne
egg, beaten
Cut the tofu into steaks, about 1/2" thick. Layer the tofu in a very absorbent tea towel and weight it down to remove the moisture--let stand for about 45-60 minutes. Mix 2-3 Tbls soy, 1 Tbl vinegar and 1 tsp worchestershire sauce. Put the prepared tofu steaks in this mixture for about 10 minutes, turning every minute or two so that all surfaces get soaked. Remove from the soy mixture and pat dry with a paper towel. Season the flour with salt, pepper, and cayenne and mix thoroughly. Put the flour into a wide dish. Put the egg in a second wide dish. Heat about 1/4" oil in a heavy bottom frying pan to between 350-375F. Dredge the tofu into the flour and gently shake off the excess. Dip the tofu into the egg mixture, coating throughly. Dredge the egg-covered tofu through the flour again and gently place into the hot oil. Fry on one side until golden brown, approximately 3-4 minutes. Gently flip and fry on the other side until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel to drain. (Repeat with other tofu steaks. You can do 2-3 at a time depending upon the size of your frying pan.)
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Veggie Meatloaf
Shamelessly adapted from Alton Brown's recipe, to make it veggie, lower-fat, and high-fiber.
Ingredients:
6 oz garlic flavored whole-wheat bread crumbs (by weight)
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 Tbl dried onion flakes
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 c TVP granules
1 1/2 c veggie broth
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 Tbl olive oil
1 Tbl flaxseed meal
1/4 c. egg substitute
Glaze:
1/2 c catsup
1 tsp ground cumin
dash soy sauce
1 tsp adobo sauce + (finely chopped) chipotle pepper to taste
1 Tbl honey
Pre-heat oven to 325F. Heat the broth to just below the boiling point, add the olive oil, and reconstitute the TVP with the mixture, letting stand for at least 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the egg substitute to the bowl of a food processor and blend until the carrot and garlic are finely chopped. Mix the TVP and dry ingredients together with the egg and form into a loaf pan. Line a small baking pan with parchment paper, and lightly spray with cooking spray. Turn the loaf onto the parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes. Make the glaze by stirring together all of the glaze ingredients and adjust for taste.
After 10 minutes, remove from the oven and coat with the glaze. Return to oven and bake for another 30 minutes, or until the glaze is starting to darken and caramelize.
Notes: I think I could've easily added some celery to give it some bulk as well. A touch (maybe 1/2 tsp) of mexican oregano would've been nice too.
Ingredients:
6 oz garlic flavored whole-wheat bread crumbs (by weight)
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 Tbl dried onion flakes
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 c TVP granules
1 1/2 c veggie broth
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 Tbl olive oil
1 Tbl flaxseed meal
1/4 c. egg substitute
Glaze:
1/2 c catsup
1 tsp ground cumin
dash soy sauce
1 tsp adobo sauce + (finely chopped) chipotle pepper to taste
1 Tbl honey
Pre-heat oven to 325F. Heat the broth to just below the boiling point, add the olive oil, and reconstitute the TVP with the mixture, letting stand for at least 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the egg substitute to the bowl of a food processor and blend until the carrot and garlic are finely chopped. Mix the TVP and dry ingredients together with the egg and form into a loaf pan. Line a small baking pan with parchment paper, and lightly spray with cooking spray. Turn the loaf onto the parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes. Make the glaze by stirring together all of the glaze ingredients and adjust for taste.
After 10 minutes, remove from the oven and coat with the glaze. Return to oven and bake for another 30 minutes, or until the glaze is starting to darken and caramelize.
Notes: I think I could've easily added some celery to give it some bulk as well. A touch (maybe 1/2 tsp) of mexican oregano would've been nice too.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Easy Spaetzle Casserole
Box of spaetzle, cooked according to the directions (reserve about 1 c of the boiling liquid)
mixed vegetables, I used 8-10 brussel sprouts (halved), 10-12 large brown mushrooms (cut into chunks), 1/2 c each of frozen corn and peas, and ~2 cups frozen broccoli florets
3 cloves garlic, minced (more or less to taste)
1 pkg cream cheese (I used non-fat)
1 pkg italian blend cheese (again, I used reduced fat cheese)
1 egg + 1/4 c eggbeaters
salt, pepper, oregano, thyme
Preheat oven to 350F. Sautee the mushrooms with a small bit of olive oil. As they start to give up their juice add about 2/3 of the garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Pour off any remaining mushroom liquid and save. Remove mushrooms from the pan, add a small amount more of oil and crank up the heat. Sautee the sprouts until they start to just caramelize, pour about 1/4 c water or broth over them and cook until all the liquid is gone. Turn off the heat and add the mushrooms back to the pan. Thaw the frozen veggies and add them to the pan. Add the spices to taste--make this a bit strong tasting, because no spices are added to the cheese mixture.
In a food processor, blend the cream cheese, 2/3 of the cheese blend, the remaining garlic and the eggs. While the blade is spinning, add in the reserved mushroom liquor (so that you don't accidentally cook the egg if the liquor is still too hot). If the mixture looks too solid, add a bit of the reserved cooking liquid.
In a large bowl (or even the pot you boiled the spaetzle in) combine the veggies and the noodles, stirring gently. Pour the cheese sauce over the mixture and stir gently to completely combine. Pour into a 9x13" baking dish, prepared with a non-stick cooking spray. Top with remaining Italian cheese blend. Bake 20-30 minutes until the cheese just starts to brown on top.
mixed vegetables, I used 8-10 brussel sprouts (halved), 10-12 large brown mushrooms (cut into chunks), 1/2 c each of frozen corn and peas, and ~2 cups frozen broccoli florets
3 cloves garlic, minced (more or less to taste)
1 pkg cream cheese (I used non-fat)
1 pkg italian blend cheese (again, I used reduced fat cheese)
1 egg + 1/4 c eggbeaters
salt, pepper, oregano, thyme
Preheat oven to 350F. Sautee the mushrooms with a small bit of olive oil. As they start to give up their juice add about 2/3 of the garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Pour off any remaining mushroom liquid and save. Remove mushrooms from the pan, add a small amount more of oil and crank up the heat. Sautee the sprouts until they start to just caramelize, pour about 1/4 c water or broth over them and cook until all the liquid is gone. Turn off the heat and add the mushrooms back to the pan. Thaw the frozen veggies and add them to the pan. Add the spices to taste--make this a bit strong tasting, because no spices are added to the cheese mixture.
In a food processor, blend the cream cheese, 2/3 of the cheese blend, the remaining garlic and the eggs. While the blade is spinning, add in the reserved mushroom liquor (so that you don't accidentally cook the egg if the liquor is still too hot). If the mixture looks too solid, add a bit of the reserved cooking liquid.
In a large bowl (or even the pot you boiled the spaetzle in) combine the veggies and the noodles, stirring gently. Pour the cheese sauce over the mixture and stir gently to completely combine. Pour into a 9x13" baking dish, prepared with a non-stick cooking spray. Top with remaining Italian cheese blend. Bake 20-30 minutes until the cheese just starts to brown on top.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Quick Brussel Sprout leftovers!
After a few meals, I had some random bits left over--1/2 cup of thick homemade tomato sauce, 1/4 cup rough chopped red onion, 1/2 cup veggie broth, and brussel sprouts (15-20ish?).
Prepare the sprouts by cutting off the stem end and cutting in half, removing any loose or damaged leaves. In a medium-sized skillet, heat about a teaspoon of peanut oil over medium-high until just shimmering. Add the brussel sprouts and onions and stir to coat in the oil. Crank the heat up to high, and sautee until the sprouts start to just brown. Add the garlic and sautee until more of the sprouts have caramelized, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium, add the broth, cover, and steam for 1 minute. Remove the lid, turn up heat to medium-high and reduce the broth to where it just barely covers the bottom of the skillet. Add about 1 Tbl of balsamic and reduce, season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat, add tomato sauce and stir to incorporate. Serve with a bit of grated Parmesan on top.
Prepare the sprouts by cutting off the stem end and cutting in half, removing any loose or damaged leaves. In a medium-sized skillet, heat about a teaspoon of peanut oil over medium-high until just shimmering. Add the brussel sprouts and onions and stir to coat in the oil. Crank the heat up to high, and sautee until the sprouts start to just brown. Add the garlic and sautee until more of the sprouts have caramelized, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium, add the broth, cover, and steam for 1 minute. Remove the lid, turn up heat to medium-high and reduce the broth to where it just barely covers the bottom of the skillet. Add about 1 Tbl of balsamic and reduce, season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat, add tomato sauce and stir to incorporate. Serve with a bit of grated Parmesan on top.
Monday, February 22, 2010
America's Test Kitchen, No Knead Bread
Ok, first off, the recipe isn't no-knead.. they should call it minimal knead. Unfortunately the crust of their recipe doesn't live up to the original, however handling their dough is much easier.
Their exact recipe:
15 oz flour
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp yeast
7 oz water
3 oz beer (lager/light beer)
1 Tbl white vinegar
Mix dry, mix wet. Pour wet onto dry. Mix and cover, let sit 8-18 hours.
Spread out some bench flour, knead 10-15 turns, and form into a round loaf.
Place the loaf on a piece of Pam'd parchment paper in a skillet, spray top of bread with Pam and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise for 60 minutes or so.
During the last 30 minutes of the rise, heat a dutchoven in a 500 degree oven.
Remove the plastic wrap, slice roughly 1/2" deep "X" or square into the top and use the parchment paper sling to transfer bread into dutch oven.
Bake at 425 for 30 mins with lid on, then 20-30 mins without lid
Let cool for at least 1 hr on rack before cutting.
The bread had a great texture and good taste. The crust was a little lacking. I think next time I'll spray it with a bit of water as well as spraying down the sides of the dutch oven. This bread would be wonderful with some rye or buckwheat flour--or maybe even some cooked whole grains. Next time I think I'm going to try sprinkling some large salt flakes on top before baking.
Their exact recipe:
15 oz flour
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp yeast
7 oz water
3 oz beer (lager/light beer)
1 Tbl white vinegar
Mix dry, mix wet. Pour wet onto dry. Mix and cover, let sit 8-18 hours.
Spread out some bench flour, knead 10-15 turns, and form into a round loaf.
Place the loaf on a piece of Pam'd parchment paper in a skillet, spray top of bread with Pam and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise for 60 minutes or so.
During the last 30 minutes of the rise, heat a dutchoven in a 500 degree oven.
Remove the plastic wrap, slice roughly 1/2" deep "X" or square into the top and use the parchment paper sling to transfer bread into dutch oven.
Bake at 425 for 30 mins with lid on, then 20-30 mins without lid
Let cool for at least 1 hr on rack before cutting.
The bread had a great texture and good taste. The crust was a little lacking. I think next time I'll spray it with a bit of water as well as spraying down the sides of the dutch oven. This bread would be wonderful with some rye or buckwheat flour--or maybe even some cooked whole grains. Next time I think I'm going to try sprinkling some large salt flakes on top before baking.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Black Cherry Manhattan
While at the Encore Casino/Hotel this past weekend, I had a drink at one of the bars called a Smoked Cherry Manhattan. It was yummy enough to make me recreate it at home...
3 parts Red Stag Black Cherry Bourbon
3/4 part Antica Vermouth
healthy dash Black Qi
Shake vigorously and pour into a martini glass. Garnish with sour cherries.
3 parts Red Stag Black Cherry Bourbon
3/4 part Antica Vermouth
healthy dash Black Qi
Shake vigorously and pour into a martini glass. Garnish with sour cherries.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Veggie Gratin
I decided yesterday to try a variation on potatoes au gratin. I had some extra mixed fingerlings, some sour cream and some left-over evaporated milk I needed to use up. I got some additional veggies and tried an experiment. The taste was awesome, the texture a bit underdone, and haven't figured out why it was so watery yet...
Veggie Gratin
2 lb of mixed potatoes
2 medium carrots, peeled
2 large portabellos
1 lb white mushrooms
stalk of one large head of broccoli
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 c. sour cream
1/4 c. veggie broth
1 c. evaporated milk
parmesan
shredded swiss cheese
1 tsp oregano
salt/pepper
Preheat oven to 350. Slice all the veggies with a mandoline or v-slicer to about 1/8" thickness. Sautee the white mushrooms in a bit of olive oil adding the garlic after the mushrooms have just started to soften. Once the mushrooms have started to release their juice, drain them and set aside to cool. Reduce the mushroom liquor to a thick syrup. Combine the sour cream, evaporated milk, broth, mushroom liquor, and oregano, mixing to combine. Season with salt and pepper, slightly undersalting. (Given how liquid this blend turned out, I might be tempted to add some corn starch or flour to this mixture). Grease a high-sided 9x13 casserole pan. Layer some potatoes (1/3), top with all the carrots, then the portabello slices. Grate some parmesan, add a handful of swiss cheese, add a bit of salt & pepper. Layer another 1/3 of the potato slices, followed by the broccoli stems, and the sauteed mushroom/garlic mixture. Again, top with some parmesan, swiss, and lightly salt/pepper. Layer the final 1/3 of the potatoes. Press down firmly on the potatoes to push out any pockets. Stir the sour cream mixture to combine, pour evenly over the layered mixture. Season with a bit of salt on top. Put into the oven for 50 minutes. Remove from oven, add parmesan and a generous amount of the swiss cheese. Return to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the cheese is beginning to lightly brown on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Veggie Gratin
2 lb of mixed potatoes
2 medium carrots, peeled
2 large portabellos
1 lb white mushrooms
stalk of one large head of broccoli
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 c. sour cream
1/4 c. veggie broth
1 c. evaporated milk
parmesan
shredded swiss cheese
1 tsp oregano
salt/pepper
Preheat oven to 350. Slice all the veggies with a mandoline or v-slicer to about 1/8" thickness. Sautee the white mushrooms in a bit of olive oil adding the garlic after the mushrooms have just started to soften. Once the mushrooms have started to release their juice, drain them and set aside to cool. Reduce the mushroom liquor to a thick syrup. Combine the sour cream, evaporated milk, broth, mushroom liquor, and oregano, mixing to combine. Season with salt and pepper, slightly undersalting. (Given how liquid this blend turned out, I might be tempted to add some corn starch or flour to this mixture). Grease a high-sided 9x13 casserole pan. Layer some potatoes (1/3), top with all the carrots, then the portabello slices. Grate some parmesan, add a handful of swiss cheese, add a bit of salt & pepper. Layer another 1/3 of the potato slices, followed by the broccoli stems, and the sauteed mushroom/garlic mixture. Again, top with some parmesan, swiss, and lightly salt/pepper. Layer the final 1/3 of the potatoes. Press down firmly on the potatoes to push out any pockets. Stir the sour cream mixture to combine, pour evenly over the layered mixture. Season with a bit of salt on top. Put into the oven for 50 minutes. Remove from oven, add parmesan and a generous amount of the swiss cheese. Return to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the cheese is beginning to lightly brown on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
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