Spice-fried Tofu with Grits n' Greens (vegan)

Hey friends!  Have some vegan food!  

I've been itchin' to make Joy the Baker's Shrimp and Grits, but between the bacon and the shrimp and cheddar cheese, it seemed more decadent than we normally do around here for weeknights. So, I was pumped when I found I found this recipe.  I'm not going vegan or anything  (I mean, we have brats just about every other week and pizza's my fave food), but I like trying non-standard ingredients.

The one unusual ingredient here is nutritional yeast, which is a cheese substitute.  I've used it a couple times before and like it pretty well.  Just an FYI, you'll find it in the dried foods / bulk section and it kind of looks like flour.  There's really no limit to what you can do with it, use it just like cheese!  Just don't use too much, because then you'll remember you're not really eating cheese :(

Hope you like this!  We did!  

Spice-fried Tofu with Grits n' Greens
adapted from Food & Wine, serves 2

[Cajun-fried Tofu]
12 ounces extra firm tofu
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried minced onions
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/4 cup peanut oil
s&p

Cut tofu into strips and pat dry.  Combine all the spices in a plastic ziploc bag. Drop the dried tofu into the bag and shake vigorously, to coat the tofu. Let it sit for a few minutes while heating the oil in a frying pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side. Then ...

[Grits n' Greens]
2 2/3 cups water
2/3 cup quick-cooking grits
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach
s&p

In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil, then gradually add the grits and a big pinch of salt. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the grits are thick, about 7 minutes. Season with s&p, stir in the nutritional year and spinach. Top with fried tofu and serve immediately.

Vegetarian Cassoulet

 A lovely spring recipe that requires hardly any attention at all.  When I make this again, I'm going to have Todd slice the carrots, though.  Carrots and potatoes .... they're so unwieldy!  Todd really liked the way I did the bread, and he also liked the kick of the cloves.  This one will be making a reappearance yet!

Vegetarian Cassoulet
Adapted from Gourmet

for cassoulet
2 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only)
4 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch-wide pieces
1 bunch celery, cut into 1-inch-wide pieces
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
3 light shakes of gound cloves
3 (19-ounce) cans cannellini or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups stock

for garlic crumbs
1 baguette, torn into chunks
1/4 cup olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Make cassoulet:

Halve leeks lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, then wash well and pat dry.

Cook leeks, carrots, celery, and garlic with herb sprigs, bay leaf, cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in beans, then stock, and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender but not falling apart, about 30 minutes.

Make garlic crumbs while cassoulet simmers:

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Toss bread crumbs with oil, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a bowl until well coated. Spread in a baking pan and toast in oven, stirring once halfway through, until crisp and golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

Cool crumbs in pan, then return to bowl and stir in parsley.

Finish cassoulet:

Discard herb sprigs and bay leaf. Mash some of beans in pot with a potato masher or back of a spoon to thicken broth. Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, sprinkle with baguette pieces.

Black Bean and Avocado Brownies

I know what you're thinking ... black bean and avocado brownies!?  And really, I was right there with you.  Lord knows I'd eat the brownies, but I wasn't sold on the fact that I'd like them.  


Boy oh boy, was I wrong!  


Holy my goodness.  In fact, I have confession.  Are you ready?  These brownies are supposed to serve 12, but Todd and I basically split the whole shebang!!  Needless to say, my "healthy" brownies caused me to gain weight the next day!  Gracious, why are these healthy brownies so good?!  Naturally, there was not enough time to both stuff these brownies in my face and take a picture.  Sorry.


MAJOR NOTE: you can eat these brownies once they're cool from the oven, but they taste BEST if you put them in the fridge overnight and eat them the next day.  Also, these are more like fudgey brownies than cakey brownies ...


WARNING: eating these brownies may cause you to gain weight.  See above.


Black Bean and Avocado Brownies
(adapted from Cara's Cravings, about 2 grams of fat and 100 calories per serving)
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 eggs
1/4 cup agave syrup
1/2 of a ripe avocado
6 tbsp cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons white sugar 
2 teaspoons instant coffee (eeeewwwww)  The real recipe calls for instant espresso, which I didn't have on hand.  However, if I had the option, I would use the espresso.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8" pan with parchment paper.

Combine black beans, egg substitute, agave syrup, and avocado in food processor. Blend for a few minutes, until completely smooth. Add remaining ingredients and continue blending until fully combined, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Spread into parchment-lined baking dish. Bake for 30-33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the brownies comes out clean.

Shichimi Mushroom Rice Bowl

No more than two minutes before serving this up, Todd sweetly announced that he would not be liking this meal.  Much to his surprise, Todd really liked this mushroom rice bowl.  It’s super cheap, too, especially if you buy dry mushrooms.  Don't forget to season with salt or soy sauce after serving!

Shichimi Mushroom Rice Bowl
(adapted from 101 Cookbooks, 3-4 servings)

2 cups cooked brown basmati rice
2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced12 ounces shitake mushrooms of your choice, sliced ~1/4-inch thick

12 ounces firm tofu, cut into tiny cubes
1 small bunch kale well chopped
About 8 shakes red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 bunch green onions, sliced

Heat skillet over high heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer, stir well, and cook until the mushrooms release their liquid, and then brown, about 5 minutes more. You want the mushrooms to be deeply browned on both sides. Stir in the garlic roughly 20 seconds before the mushrooms finish cooking. If you need to cook the mushrooms in two batches, do so. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate, set aside.

Using the same large skillet, no need to clean it out, cook the tofu along with a couple pinches of salt over medium-high heat until heated through, and until it starts to brown a bit. Roughly one minute before the tofu is finished cooking, stir in the kale. It should collapse and cook down over the next 60 seconds.

Season all the components generously with Shichimi Togarashi and salt to taste. For each serving, dish up a heaping spoonful of brown rice along with some of the tofu/kale mixture and a some of the mushrooms.  Season with salt or soy sauce to taste and sprinkle green onions on top of your serving.

Vernacular Revolution's First Gig!

Hey all!  Give it up for Vernacular Revolution, Tucson's lindy hop performance troupe!  We had our first performance yesterday.  The benefit was hosted by the Arizona Theatre Company and proceeds will go to send care packages to our troops.

Lemon Meringue Pie

I made this lemon meringue for Todd's birthday.  Todd definitely falls in the birthday pie rather than birthday cake category.  Lemon meringue pies are actually kind of like egg pies because there's egg yolk in the filling and egg white in the top.

This pie is super easy to make, especially if you have an electric mixer so that you can do something else while the meringue whips up.  Just a note, meringue is touchy in terms of measurements, so portion accordingly.  Also, next time I think I will use a different fat for my pie crust, since canned Crisco creeps me out.

Lemon Meringue Pie

(recipe a mix of Todd's mom and Good Housekeeping)

Pastry

·         2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

·         2 tsp. salt

·         2/3 cup shortening

·         6-9 tablespoons cold water

Filling

·         1 ½ cup sugar

·         3 T cornstarch

·         3 T flour

·         Dash salt (iodized, if you have it)

·         1 ½ cup hot water

·         3 slightly beaten egg yolks

·         2 T butter

·         ½ tsp. grated lemon peel

·         Juice of 1 lemon 

·         (2 T of softened reduced fat cream cheese)

Meringue

·         3 egg whites

·         ½ tsp. vanilla

·         ¼ tsp. cream of tartar

·         6 T sugar

Directions

In medium bowl, mix flour & salt.  Cut in shortening with pastry blender until mix the size of small peas.  Sprinkle with water 1 T at a time.

Gather pastry into ball and shape into flattened round on floured surface.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until rough is firm & cold, yet pliable, about 45 minutes.  This will give you a nice and flaky crust!

Heat oven to 475.  With floured rolling pin, roll pastry two inches larges than an upside down 9-inch pie plate.  TIP: fold pastry into fourths; and place in pie plate (no broken pies in transport!).  Trim overhanging edge of pastry one inch from rim of pie plate.  Fold pastry under and press dough into pie plate.  Prick bottom and side of pastry thoroughly with fork.  Bake 9-11 minutes, until light brown.

Reduce oven temp to 350.  In a saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch, flour, & salt over medium-high heat.  Gradually stir in water stirring constantly over high heat until mixture comes to boil.  Cook & stir 2 minutes longer then remove from heat.

Stir small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks then return hot mixture.  Bring to boil then cook & stir 2 minutes.  Add butter and lemon peel.  Slowly add lemon juice. 

Lightly coat bottom of pie with cream cheese to make filling stick.

Make meringue: beat egg whites with vanilla & cream of tartar and let soft peaks form.  Just turn on your mixer and going do something for a bit – don’t be stingy with time here.  Gradually add sugar until soft & glossy peaks form.  Again don’t be stingy with time here.  Pour filling into pastry then top and seal with meringue.  Bake at 350 for 12 minutes, until meringue light brown.  Cool away from draft for 2 hours then put in fridge.

Charleston Competition Clip and Old Man Dancing

Warehouse Stomp was this weekend, and it was great time all around...fun jam circle, bangin music, and a rockin solo charleston competition.  Check out the clip from the first round of the competition below (I'm the fourth in).  I loved seeing everyone show off their stuff, and the audience was very supportive!  What I think is even funnier is the clip below the charleston clip.  We watched this as a joke in my Legal Research class yesterday, but I actually think this guy would have fared pretty well in our charleston competition!