Sesame Tofu Stir Fry

I got a new cookbook over the weekend that I am psyched about. It's Cooking Light's Way to Cook Vegetarian. My favorite part about the book? The abundance of pictures. All of my favorite cookbooks have no pictures, and it's so annoying. (I'm looking at you Veganomicon) 
 

Meal planning for the week can be trying at times, and sometimes I just want to mindlessly flip through the pictures to decide what I am going to make, not read through recipes trying to decipher what the recipe is about.  I also like this new book because the recipes look delicious, but accessible. No hard-to-find ingredients, crazy expensive ingredients, or words I can't pronounce.

Tonight I bring you Sesame Tofu Stir Fry. It was deeeelicious, and super easy to make!  I had this on the table in about a half hour (perfect for a work night). 

Sesame Tofu Stir Fry 

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tbs sesame seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1 package extra firm tofu, drained
1 tbs canola oil
2 tsp sesame oil (optional)
4 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch of asparagus
1/4 cup green onions, sliced (I didn't have any on hand, so I used a small sweet onion)
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tbs hoisin sauce 

1 tsp chili garlic sauce 

1 tsp corn starch

Directions
1. Combine sesame seeds and salt in a large bowl. Add the tofu cubes; toss gently to coat.
2. Combine oils in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu and saute 5 until tofu is golden brown. Remove tofu from pan and set aside.
3. Return pan to heat (adding more oil if needed). Add mushrooms and stir-fry 3-4 minutes or until mushrooms begin to brown. Add asparagus and stir-fry 4-5 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Reduce heat to medium and stir in green onions. Add the tofu to vegetable mixture.
4. Combine broth and remaining ingredients. Add broth mixture to tofu and vegetables, and heat until thickened. Serve over rice.
5. Enjoy!

Dutch Baby Pancake

Holy-moly. I am having another Balsamic Roasted Tomato Caprese Sandwich moment. A DROP-WHATEVER-YOU-ARE-DOING-AND-MAKE-THIS-RIGHT-NOW moment.

The boyfriend is driving down to Eugene today to help a friend move up to Portland. I decided, being the best GF ever that I am, that I would make him breakfast before he left. 

I had some leftover blueberries that I picked earlier this summer in my freezer that I wanted to use up, so I turned to my friend Google for inspiration.  I found myself at the Choosy Beggars page, practically drooling over the picture of something called a "dutch baby".  I'd never in my life heard of a "dutch baby" before, and it was apparently very popular at Bickford's, of all places (a little reference for my fellow New Englander's out there).

A dutch baby is essentially a large pancake that is cooked in the oven, and takes on a bowl shape as it bakes.  I made a cream cheese filling to go under the blueberry compote, and it was pure perfection. 

The directions seem long and complicated, but this was actually really easy and quick to make.

Dutch Baby Pancake

Serves 4

Ingredients

Dutch Baby
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs (room temperature)
1.5 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch salt
1 tbsp butter

Blueberry Compote
1 pint blueberries (fresh or frozen)
2 tbsp water
1/2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

Cream Cheese Filling
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbs sour cream



Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 475ºF.
2. Stir together the flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl.  Add the eggs, milk, and vanilla.
3. Whisk the mixture until ingredients combine (be careful not to over mix). Once you stop mixing there should be a little bit of froth on top of the batter. Set the batter aside to rest at room temperature for 10-20 minutes.
4. While the batter rests, put all of the ingredients for the blueberry compote in a saucepan, stir to combine. Cover and let simmer on medium-low.
5. Place your baking dish, empty, in the oven to heat up.  Traditionally a 10-inch cast iron skillet is used. I don't have one of those (sigh), so I used a pie dish and it worked just fine.
6. When the pan is hot, carefully take it out of the oven and add in the butter.  Because the pan is so hot, the butter will start to brown quickly.  As it melts, swirl it around in the pan to coat the sides. Move quickly, because you don’t want the pan to lose it’s heat.
7. Turn the oven down to 425ºF.
8. Put the batter into the hot, buttered pan.  Immediately put it into the oven and let it cook for 12-15 minutes.  (do not open the oven door to peek as it bakes, the cool air will cause the dough to deflate).
9. Give the compote a stir. Next add all of the ingredients for the cream cheese filling into a mixing bowl and mix well. Set aside.
10. When pancake is done, remove from oven and immediately pour in the cream cheese mixture (this will heat up the filling so that it can be spread easily.
11. Spread the cream cheese filling around the inside of the pancake, then top with the blueberry compote.
12. ENJOY!

Wonton Samosas

 I have a bit of a love affair with samosas.  My first introduction to Indian food was through samosas, and I have been hooked ever since.  Samosas are traditionally a deep fried pastry dough filled with delicious spiced potatoes, green peas, and onions served with a sweet tamarind chutney (or sauce).

This is a healthier and quicker alternative to the traditional recipe, using wonton wrappers (instead of making pastry dough) and baking the samosa (instead of deep frying).

 Wonton Samosas
 

Ingredients:
2 potatoes (any kind you like)
1/8 cup soy milk
1 tbs oil
1/2 tsp yellow mustard powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup frozen peas
2 tbs lemon juice
1 package wonton wrappers (found in the produce isle of most grocery stores)

Directions:
1.  Bake the potatoes - wrap each in tin foil and bake in 400 degree oven for 1 hour. Allow to cool. Remove skins and discard, then chop potatoes. Reduce heat to 350.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat
3. Add mustard and coriander and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the onion and saute until translucent and starting to brown. Add garlic and ginger and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the cumin, turmeric, salt and a splash of water. Mix well to combine.
Add the potatoes, peas, and lemon juice and stir to combine. You can add some more water if it is too dry. Cook until potatoes and peas are heated through.
5. Remove from heat and set aside.
6. Lay out wonton wrappers on countertop with small bowl of water.
7. Dip your finger in the water, and wet the outer sides of the wonton wrapper (all four sides).  This will help make the edges stick together.
8. Spoon the potato filling into the center of the wonton wrapper (about a tablespoon), then bring adjacent corners together (i.e. top right corner to the bottom left corner; then top left corner to the bottom right corner).  Squeeze all four corners tight so they stick together.
9. Repeat steps 6-8 until you've used up all of the filling. Then bake for 10-12 minutes, or until wonton wrappers are brown and crispy.

Curried Pumpkin Coconut Soup

Today was the perfect crisp fall day in Portland.  The leaves are just starting to turn, with bright red and golden yellow swirling through the wind as the leaves fall off the trees.  The perfect day for delicious warm and creamy pumpkin soup, with a crunchy grilled cheese sandwich for dipping.

Now I always advocate for fresh ingredients; avoid dried, frozen, or canned as much as possible.  Welp, I used canned pumpkin here folks. You'll get more flavor if you puree your own fresh pumpkin, but it was just not in the cards this week for me.

I took the leftovers for lunch at work.  I had a baked potato leftover from the weekend that I didn't know what to do with, so I chopped it up and put it in the soup on a whim. holy.moly. The potato added an amazing richness and perfect texture to the soup. It was as if the two were meant for each other, soul mates, if you will.

Curried Pumpkin Coconut Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 small onion, diced

3 tbsp canola oil

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup vegetable broth

1 14 ounce can coconut milk

1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp ground coriander 

1/2 tsp curry paste or powder

pinch of cinnamon

salt to taste
 
Directions:
1. In a large pot, sautee the onions in the oil until onions turn soft and translucent.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 2-3 minutes longer.
3. Add the pumpkin, coconut milk, and spices; stir to combine.
4. Add the broth slowly, until you reach the desired consistency (I like mine on the thick side)
3. Simmer over low heat for at least fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Puree in food processor or blender until creamy and smooth.

Jalapeño Popper Dip

 Saturday is Game Day in this household.  While I could care less, The Boyfriend plans his entire weekend around these 3 to 4 hours; jumping up off the couch, yelling "go go go go....YEEEEEAAAH!!!!!" with his fist in the air, occasionally punching said air. I don't get the attraction to sports,  but I get to use his game time as an excuse to make yummy snacks like Jalapeño Popper Dip, so I guess Game Day is win-win.

This dip has been a hit two weeks in a row. We had some friends over for last weekend's game, and I spent all day in the kitchen making tons of food. Nothing else got touched but this dip - and it was gone within 10 minutes. It's sure to clog your arteries, but hey - it's Game Day!

In addition to the jalapeños, I added a poblano pepper, which is a very mild pepper in terms of spice.  It adds amazing flavor, without adding additional spiciness.  I like to keep things more on the mild side (I'm a wimp!) so I de-seeded the jalapeños.  You can spice it up a bit more by keeping the seeds in for one or more of the jalapeños.

You can also make this ahead of time. Just prepare the dip and store in the fridge in an air tight container (or you could freeze it for up to a month). On the day of just sprinkle the bread crumbs on top and bake.

 

Jalapeño Popper Dip
Serves 4-6

Recipe adapted from: The Rachel Ray Show

Ingredients:
2 large jalapeños
1 poblano pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon oil
8-ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs (or any kind of bread crumbs you like)

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 425. Coat peppers with olive oil and roast until softened and blackened. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
2. Once cooled enough to handle, remove the blackened skins from the peppers and discard. Chop the peppers.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, cheese, and chopped roasted peppers.
4. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and top with the the bread crumbs.  Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 15-18 minutes. Serve with nice crunchy, crusty bread or tortilla chips.

5. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Apple-Pear Sauce

Hello Fall, I fought your arrival as long as I could, but here you are with your apples and squash...and...I...can't...resist.

My good friend Anna over at Put Up With Me volunteers at The Portland Fruit Tree Project, a super cool non-profit that organizes groups of volunteers to pick fruit from local trees. Half of the fruit is donated to local food banks, and the other half is divided up amongst the volunteers.  I was the lucky recipient of several pounds of Asian Pears from Anna's latest harvest.  She used her pears to make an Asian Pear Sorbet.  You should check it out.

I'd never had an asian pear before.  They look like a pear, they taste like a pear, but they have the texture of an apple! It is very surreal and delicious.

 

I decided to make an Apple-Pear sauce, in the crock pot. It's super easy to make; chop up the fruit, add some cinnamon, some water, throw it in a crock pot, and cook on low for about 6 hours. Then puree in a food processor or blender and voila! 

You can use any firm pear you like if asian pears are difficult to find (they can get pretty spendy too).  

Cinnamon Apple-Pear Sauce

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
4 large tart apples (I used Honey Crisp)
8 small firm pears (I used Asian Pears)
1/2 cup water
2 tbs lemon juice
1/2 tbs cinnamon
1/8 cup brown sugar (optional)

Directions:
1. Peel the apples and pears
2. Slice (making sure to remove any seeds and tough core pieces) and put in crock pot.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover, and let cook on low for 6 hours.
4. Once fruit is soft and breaking apart, remove from heat and allow to cool.  Then puree in a food processor or blender until smooth.
5. Enjoy!