Spicy Orange Glazed Tofu

Spicy, citrusy, easy and quick. Better than takeout any day. Plus, now you know what to do with that jar of marmalade that's been lingering in the back of your fridge all this time!

- 1 brick tofu
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
- 6 oz orange marmalade
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 scallions, chopped
- handful of chopped peanuts or cashews

Fry tofu triangles as in Soy Glazed Tofu, and remove from the skillet.

Add garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes to the hot oil remaining in the pan and stir briefly until fragrant. Add marmalade, vinegar, soy sauce and stir well. Return tofu triangles to the pan and cook until sauce is reduced to a glaze, coating all the tofu triangles evenly. Remove from heat, sprinkle with scallions and peanuts, and serve with steamed brown rice and green vegetable of your choice (kale or broccoli is good).

Peanut Sauce Party!

Saturday for lunch, I made noodles with sugar snap peas and peanut sauce. The peanut sauce was so good (and so abundant!) that we had it for dinner again tonight. No photos due to minor computer vs. camera issues, but trust me, it looked good. Having seen photos of food I've made that I thought looked and tasted delicious enough to show off, I'll leave it up to you to decide if you think your tastes will agree with mine.

Peanut Sauce:
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1.5 tbsp grated ginger root
- 0.5 cup peanut butter
- 0.5 cup soy sauce
- 0.5 cup rice vinegar
- 0.5 cup water or veggie stock
- 3 tbs brown sugar (if using unsweetened peanut butter)
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (to your taste, we like it hella hot, so I used more and then we put Sriracha on it, too)
- 1 tbs hoisin sauce (if you don't have it, ketchup will work)
- 1 tbs cornstarch

Stuff to sauce:
This is pretty much up to you. It was good on Saturday with sugar snaps, cilantro, and scallions, but tonight I added some more stuff and liked it even better. I'm sure it would be good with chicken or shrimp (if you hate animals and want to eat them) and I know it would be tasty with tofu (that being my preference and all).
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 1 celery stalk, sliced on an angle
- 0.5 of a smallish onion or 5 scallions, cut into strips either way
- 6 oz sugar snap peas
- 1 tsp spicy mustard (I added this on a whim, you can leave it out)
- big handful of cilantro, chopped
- roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
- Oriental noodles, whichever kind is your favorite. I like wheat noodles, but if you like rice noodles or bean threads, have at it.

Put the pasta water on to boil, and heat up a skillet. While the noodles cook, add the onions, carrot, and celery to the skillet with a splash of soy sauce. Cook just until the onions start to turn translucent (not too long!), then put in the sugar snap peas, spoonful of mustard, and a tablespoon or so of the hot pasta water. Cover the pan, turn off the heat under the veggies, and let them hang out and steam until the noodles are done.

I had my sauce all ready to go from Saturday, so I don't have a pan-use-reducing solution for this one. Get out a saucepan and cook the garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes over medium heat just until they're fragrant. Stir the cornstarch into the veggie stock and set it aside. Then dump all the other sauce ingredients in and stir gently until they come to a simmer. It will look lumpy and gross, but trust me. When everything is simmering, dump in the cornstarch + broth slurry and simmer another minute. Sauce is done. Just keep it warm until you're ready to pour it over stuff.

Drain the noodles, reserving about half a cup of the cooking water to adjust the sauce consistency. Toss the veggies with the noodles with sauce, adding reserved pasta water as necessary. Sprinkle liberally with peanuts and cilantro before serving.

This made about 4 servings when I cooked about a 2 inch diameter bunch of noodles. Depending on your sauce usage, you'll probably have leftovers.

Everyday Sushi!

At our house, sushi is a quick hot-weather meal. It's done in just a bit more than the time it takes the rice to cook, is light but filling, and comes together quickly using whatever is in the fridge provided we have rice vinegar and nori (which we always do!).

For the rice:
- 1 cup white short-grain rice
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1.5 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt

And the rest of the supplies:
- 1 halved, pitted and sliced avocado, sprinkled with rice vinegar after slicing
- Five 8- by 7-inch pieces of toasted nori
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1/4 red bell pepper
- 1/2 stalk celery
- 1 oz cream cheese, cold, and cut into strips
- 1/2 carrot
- Thai Sweet Chili sauce
- wasabi (Japanese horseradish) paste
- pickled ginger as an accompaniment if desired

In a large fine sieve rinse the rice under running cold water until the water runs clear with no milky residue and drain it well. In a large heavy saucepan combine the rice with 1 1/4 cups water, bring the water to a boil, and simmer the rice, covered tightly, for 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove the pan from the heat, let the rice stand, covered tightly, for 10 minutes. Keep the rice warm and covered while you prepare the vinegar mixture. In a saucepan whisk together the vinegar, the sugar, and the salt, simmer the mixture until the sugar is dissolved, and let it cool. Sprinkle the rice with as much of the vinegar mixture as necessary to moisten it lightly (I used all of it, and it was perfect), tossing it carefully, and then cover it until you're ready to assemble the rolls. (Do not chill the rice.)

Cut all the veggies into thin strips. You've seen sushi, right? Thin strips like that. Use a big chef's knife to make your life easer and safer. If you have a mandoline, go crazy with that. My mandoline is hard to clean, so I just stick with my dear Mr. Wusthof.

Before making each roll, toast the nori sheet slightly. I preheat my toaster oven (just using the "toast" setting), and then put each sheet in there until I see it start to relax and warp just a little. Working with one sheet of nori at a time and with a long side facing you, spread about 3/4 cup of the rice in an even layer on each sheet, leaving a 1/2-inch border on the long sides, and about an inch border on the shorter side farthest from you. Keep a bowl of water nearby to dip your fingers in as you press out the rice to keep the rice from sticking to your hands. Arrange some of whichever veggies you want on the edge of the rice-covered nori closest to you (it will be a short edge), about half an inch from the edge of your rice. Combos I used:

- Avocado (this is my favorite. Just avocado, and lots of it.)
- Red pepper, carrot, and cucumber
- Red pepper carrot, cucumber and cream cheese
- Cream cheese, celery (or cucumber) and Thai sweet chili sauce (SO GOOD--2nd fave)
- Avocado, red pepper, and cucumber

Fold the edge of the nori and rice over your fillings, pressing gently but firmly so that the roll is tight and without air bubbles (it will stay together much better), and roll until only the final nori border is left. Moisten the edge of the nori with water, and finish the roll. Cut each roll with a dampened sharp knife into 3/4-inch-thick slices and serve the rolls with the soy sauce, the additional wasabi, and the ginger.

Quick Legume Lunch

I came up with this today using what was hanging around in the house. It's a really basic recipe that could be varied many, many ways.

- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 small can chopped green chiles
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can vacuum packed corn, drained (or 1.5 cups frozen sweet corn)
- 4 oz lowfat cream cheese, cubed and at room temperature (or sour cream, or yogurt if you prefer)
- 2 tsp cumin
- Olive oil
- Cilantro
- Salt and pepper
- Cooked brown rice

Sautee the onions in the oil until translucent. Add the garlic and cumin, and stir until fragrant, no more than 2 minutes. Dump in the chiles, and fry one minute. Add corn and black beans, along with 1/2 cup water or veggie stock. Cover and simmer 5-10 minutes (you can skip the simmering if you're in a hurry, but I find black beans to be a little dry and fibrous if I don't cook them a little extra). Remove the lid, and continue simmering until most of the liquid has evaporated (or don't, if you want it to be saucier). Remove from the heat, and stir in the cream cheese until smooth and melty. Season to taste, add cilantro if you have it, and serve over brown rice.

Pretty tasty! In addition to cream cheese or sour cream (or a combination!), you could use half a can of condensed cream soup (cream of celery or cream of onion, or even cheese soup) for the dairy portion. Or you could leave it out entirely and just sprinkle on some grated monterrey jack or cheddar after it's dished up. You could even use vegan versions of everything if so inclined. Salsa would be good if you don't have any green chiles, maybe half a cup or so? Curry powder instead of (or in addition to) cumin, chickpeas instead of black beans, served with basmati rice! I might add a small can of diced tomates to that one, and use the yogurt for the dairy component.

Use your imagination, and vary this recipe according to what's in your kitchen and what sounds good to you!

Afternoon Snack

Half a cucumber, halved lengthwise, peeled, seeded and filled. On the left: shiro miso and cilantro. On the right: lowfat cream cheese, Thai sweet chili sauce, cilantro, and a drop of tamari. Not pictured: Pomegranate Black Cherry tea.

If I had them, I'd sprinkle sesame seeds all over both of them, and if I'd thought of it, I would have put green onions on the miso one.

Lentil Salad

I wanted a light, healthy dinner. Lentil salad fit the bill very nicely. My original plan was to serve the salad with broiled polenta rounds, but no polenta was to be had at the store, and I didn't want to exert the extra effort to make it from scratch.

Ballpark figures for the salad are as follows:

- 1 cup brown lentils
- 3 bay leaves
- large pot of water

- 4 small carrots, diced
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 5 oz baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup balsamic or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- lots of kosher salt and pepper

Heat large, heavy skillet until moderately hot. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, onions, carrots, and a pinch of salt. Stir to coat the veg with oil, then cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until about halfway cooked. Remove the cover, allow all liquid to evaporate, and then sauté until everything starts to brown around the edges. Turn off heat, top with spinach leaves, cover and set aside until lentils are cooked.

Cook the lentils as for pasta, i.e. in an excess of water. Bring the water to a boil (no salt!), add the picked and rinsed lentils and bay leaves, and cook 20 minutes or until soft but not mushy. Drain and add to skillet.

Add vinegar, remaining olive oil, freshly ground pepper, mustard, and salt to taste. Toss everything together. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. I served this with slices of 9 grain bread spread with garlic-herb goat cheese.

Broiled or grilled polenta (perhaps topped with goat cheese!), hard boiled eggs, or a giant pile of salad greens would also be excellent accompaniments.

Tre Bruschettini

Pugliese sourdough bruschetta topped with (left to right) sauteed mushrooms and wilted baby spinach with garlic and pepperoncino, cannellini beans with pesto, and insalata caprese.

Fagioli con pesto
Open a can of white beans (canellini, great northern). Rinse and drain. Open a jar of Classico Pesto. Put 2 big blobs in with the beans and toss GENTLY. The beans are really delicate, so be careful.

Spinaci e funghi
Cook sliced mushrooms (4 oz) in a little oil until brown. Add sliced garlic and hot pepper flakes and stir until fragrant (less than a minute since your oil is hot). Toss several handfuls of spinach (5 oz) in and put a lid on. Remove pan from heat. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar (1.5 tablespoons?), salt and pepper just before putting on toast.

Insalata Caprese
Cut smallish tomatoes into halves or quarters. Cube some mozzarella (2 parts tomatoes to 1 part mozzarella). Salt and pepper generously. Roll up some basil leaves (4 biggish ones) and cut into chiffonade. Add to tomatoes and cheese, then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil (1.5 tablespoons or so).

Bruschetti
I made everything before starting the toasting process. I brushed sliced bread with olive oil, and broiled until golden and crispy, then rubbed each slice with a fresh garlic clove. The hot toasty bread acts like a grater and rasps off a little bit of the garlic. You might could leave it out, but I feel like it adds another dimension of spiciness and flavor. It's subtle, but with certain bruschetta toppings, indispensable.

When the toasts are done and rubbed, throw them on a plate and top generously. Then eat!

Ziti Florentine

So simple, so fast, and really insanely good. Tailor all the amounts to how many people you're serving. Just use the amounts suggested on the respective boxes of products and unless lumberjacks are dining with you, you should be okay.

Take ziti and cook it. While it's cooking, heat up some spaghetti sauce (I used Classico Marinara, but I really love all the Barilla sauces best) and defrost some spinach in the microwave. When the spinach is about halfway defrosted, grate or press a clove of garlic in with it and stir it up. Finish defrosting. When the pasta is done, return it to the pot and add the spinach, sauce, noodles, and about 2 ounces of cubed mozzarella (one ounce per serving is about right). Stir gently and serve immediately with garlic bread and a nice big salad with some vinaigrette.

Texas Caviar

- 1 can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
- 1 can chopped green chiles, drained and large, annoying pieces of skin removed
- 1 large red bell pepper (or half a red and half a yellow pepper), seeded and diced
- 1 can vaccuum packed corn, drained
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 clove garlic, pressed
- 1 finely minced jalapeno
- 1 small tomato or 5 cherry tomatoes, seeded and diced (very optional--if the tomatoes aren't beautiful, please omit!)
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional--better for salad, not necessary for salsa)
- salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together in a large bowl. Allow to stand, covered, at room temperature for at least an hour for best flavors. Serve over greens as a salad (baby spinach is particularly nice), or with chips for a chunky, nutrient rich salsa. Also fantastic over basmati or brown rice. I don't bother to heat it. I just serve up the room temperature Texas caviar with the fresh, hot rice. Seems like it might also be good over fish or chicken, especially if you added some fruit. Peaches would be nice (preserving the Texanness), or mango. Cucumbers are good in there, too. They add a nice crunch if you're eating it as a salad.

Oh, Necessity. You have the best children!

Last night, I really wanted to eat my favorite meal from my college days. Sesame Tofu and Veggies with Thai tea from Mr. Chopsticks in Denton.

Problem? Mr. Chopsticks is over an hour away, it was 11:00 at night, and I was already in my pajamas.

Solution? A well stocked Asian pantry and inspiration from the internet!

I didn't have any sesame seeds, and I glazed the tofu rather than making a sauce. At Mr. Chopsticks, they tempura batter and fry all the veggies before tossing them with the sauce, and I had neither the ingredients nor the inclination for that. Still turned out pretty good.

Soy Glazed Tofu
- 1 brick extra firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 3 chopped scallions

Cut the tofu into 1/4" thick slices (each brick makes 8 slices), and then into triangles (4 triangles per slice). Heat a cast iron skillet until drops of water bead up and roll around when flicked in the pan. Add oil. Arrange tofu triangles in a single layer , without crowding, and fry (without disturbing!) for 3-4 minutes or until they begin to turn brown at the edges and lift off the skillet easily. Flip tofu, and fry the second side until golden and crispy. Remove and set aside as tofu triangles finsh cooking. Repeat for any tofu that wouldn't fit in the first batch.

Stir together brown sugar, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Return all tofu to skillet, and pour in the glaze mixture. The glaze mixture will bubble and pop, so be careful! Stir gently until glaze thickens and coats all the tofu, making each piece shiny and delicious!

Sprinkle with scallions (and sesame seeds if you have them!) and serve with steamed broccoli and brown rice.

What's for breakfast?

Scrambled farmhouse eggs with fresh spinach, sweet corn, cilantro, and jack cheese, topped with homemade salsa. And in keeping with the Mexican theme, chips instead of toast!

The picture is a little blurry, sorry. It looked clear on the camera viewfinder, and I was too hungry to check closely or take 12753 pictures like I usually do.

For the eggs:
- 6 eggs from your grandma's hens, whisked with a few tablespoons water
- 2 big handfuls of baby spinach, chopped
- 1 regular sized handful of cilantro, chopped
- half a can of vacuum packed corn kernels
- 1.5-2 ounces grated monterrey jack cheese
- salt and pepper to taste

Preheat a medium skillet over medium heat. Not too hot--the secret to good scrambled eggs is not to cook them too fast. I cook scrambled eggs at about 3 on my burner dial, which is low simmering level. Add oil, and then eggs. Scramble the eggs for a minute or two until they start to thicken, then add the spinach and corn. Continue to scramble until the eggs are nearly done, but still slightly moist, then add the cheese, cilantro salt and pepper, cover and remove from heat. Removing the eggs from the heat while they're still slightly underdone will allow the heat of the pan to finish cooking them and ensure that you won't have overcooked eggs. Serves 1 lumberjack and 1 regular appetite, or 3 regular people.

For the salsa:
- half a red onion, roughly chopped
- big handful of cilantro, large stems removed
- 1 regular sized can of diced tomatoes
- juice of 1 lime or lemon
- 1 fresh jalapeno or serrano pepper, roughly chopped
- salt to taste, and maybe a tiny pinch of sugar if your jalapeno is exceptionally hot
- 1 stick blender (makes this a very quick task)

Drain all the tomato juice and half of the tomatoes into the bottom of a tall, narrow container. Add cilantro, lime juice, onions, and jalapeno. Blend until no large chunks of jalapeno are left and the onion is pretty well chopped. This usually takes 15-30 seconds. The mixture will be rough, not like a smooth puree. Don't overprocess it or it will be runny. Add the remaining tomatoes and blend for 10 seconds or so. Allow salsa to stand about 10 minutes, then taste. Add salt and sugar (if necessary). Makes about 16 ounces.