snapshot: tofu with spicy scallion and sesame sauce

i spend a lot of time cooking

intricate, million-step dishes that

make me very proud,

and usually, very tired.

the other times? i want quick

and simple options, that allow

me to sit for a few minutes when

i get home from work, and not

have to run into the kitchen,

crossing my fingers that we

eat before 10 pm.

this korean tofu is exactly

that - the longest part comes

from draining and blotting

the block of firm tofu,

which involves patience,

not skill or good form.

that's when i usually rest

(i.e. change my clothes

and watch ellen on dvr).

next, the tofu can be pan-seared

or boiled gently in water.

it's up to you and your mood.

while that's happening,

i sprinkle 2 large cloves garlic with

a large pinch of salt and let it sit 5 minutes,

before mashing them together until a paste forms.

then, in a small bowl, i whisk the paste

with 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame seeds

that have been crushed with a heavy knife,

1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions,

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce,

1 tablespoon asian sesame oil,

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

and 1/2 teaspoon sugar.*

when the tofu is ready, i spoon the spicy,

garlicky and nutty sauce over the tofu

and serve it next to some greens or

brown rice. if i'm feeling ambitious,

both sides make it to the plate,

but really, that's not what nights

like these are about.

*this sauce is yet another reason - on a very, very long list - why i am so sad to lose gourmet. the original, unadapted version of this recipe can be found here.

moving on with it

oh goodness,

i'm still so far behind

that i didn't even know

where to start.

with the deviled eggs

that i made for last week's

first game of the season?

with the kugel that i made

in honor of rosh hashanah

for the bring-a-dish-to-work

that-represents-your-heritage day?

or my odd attempt at

peach hot sauce?

no.

even though i've already decided

to skip my favorite corn soup

until next summer and i may come back to

the eggs, kugel and peach, um, puree,

i'm jumping right to the

lettuce wraps.

i've been making them for years

and, well, they are an excellent and

fast excuse for dinner when it's

too hot to turn on the oven,

too late to break out the pots and pans

or too easy and delicious to ignore.

i think this dish was first created on

a night when all three applied,

but since then, it's been on repeat

year round.

there are very few reasons not to make it,

and the most compelling argument

doesn't stand a chance. you see,

i know it's a simple recipe

when my biggest complaint

is the amount of drying that

goes into it.

because first, you have to blot

the tofu. (yes, it's tofu again.

it is. but, it's also very, very good

and slathered in a flavor-packed

sauce and it's...well, that's it.

it's just worth it. tofu or not.)

so, anyway. you blot the tofu

using one or two or three

paper towels.

then you cut the block into

tiny cubes, lay those

on paper towels, cover with

more paper towels and when

they're soaked through, repeat.

but that's the most time consuming part.

later, you have to wash the lettuce leaves

well, and then again, dry them completely

so that they don't give the tofu extra

moisture or become drippy in your hands.

but really, what's a little drying

in the scheme of things? especially

considering you don't have to turn

on your oven? (can you tell it's still

a little hot over here in our kitchen?)

so basically,

all you do is take these pieces

of tofu, toss them with the contents

of your fridge - mine is decidedly asian

and mexican. we go asian here - let

them mingle and meld and then

fold the cubes into large leaves of

boston or butter lettuce.

there's one other catch -

if you want to call it that.

i don't measure for this recipe.

ever.

it's not worth it to dirty

spoons

and

cups,

when you can just squeeze

in a little of this

and a little of that.

instead, i always start

with a few key ingredients

scallions

garlic

soy sauce

hoisin sauce

and then go from there.

some things in my mind are optional:

jalapenos

ginger

avocados

water chestnuts.

some things are not:

sesame oil

siracha

fish sauce.

(which reminds me:

don't. be. afraid. of. fish. sauce.

it sounds weird and smells worse.

but it adds something delicious

to so many dishes

that would be impossible to

otherwise replicate or achieve.)

anyway, once i'm happy with the way

the sauce tastes, i toss in the tofu,

gently mix it all together

and then let it sit until

i think it's ready.

i think a recipe would

only slow us down (and at

this point, that's a luxury

we cannot afford).

sesame tofu lettuce wraps

i'm not giving a real recipe here, just a guideline. i've made this many times and i've never - not even the first time that i made it - not had enough sauce. once the scallions and garlic are in the bowl, add your base of soy sauce and hoisin. whisk them together and go from there. just keep tasting until you're happy - i'm pretty sure that if i gave an actual recipe, that's what would happen, anyway.

1 block firm tofu, drained

2 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

soy sauce

hoisin sauce

siracha, or other hot sauce

fish sauce (really, really a must)

sesame oil

lime, halved

sesame seeds

1 head boston lettuce leaves, separated, washed and dried

optional:

chopped jalapeno (add with scallions and garlic)

chopped water chestnuts (add with scallions and garlic)

chopped ginger (add with scallions and garlic)

dicded avocado (add with tofu)

blot tofu several times with several paper towels. cube tofu; place cubes on paper towels. top with paper towels. let sit 1 minute, or until wet. repeat with dry paper towels; discard. place tofu on dry pieces of paper towels. let sit until ready to use (for me, this is sometimes 10 minutes, sometimes an hour and a half, depending on how much time i have).

in bowl, whisk together scallions and garlic. add good amounts of soy sauce and hoisin. squeeze in some siracha (depending on how spicy you like it), add a few healthy shakes of fish sauce, a couple drops of sesame oil and a big squeeze of lime. taste mixture; adjust. when you're happy with it, add the tofu and sesame seeds; gently toss. let sit 20 minutes to 1 hour (or more). let everyone make their own by serving tofu with lettuce leaves, hoisin sauce and siracha.

snapshot: avocado and sweet potato brown rice bowl

heavily based on this recipe,

rice bowls have become one of 

my favorite feel-good dinners.

hearty, but not fatty or overly

filling, they're just as comforting on

a cold night as 

a warm spring evening.

and while, yes, i think it's

daring to give another tofu

recipe so soon, i think you can handle

it - or swap it out for chicken, beef or shrimp.

to make: 

fill bowls with freshly cooked and hot

brown rice that 

has been tossed with 

shredded toasted nori.

top with one large sweet potato,

diced, sprinkled with

lime juice, cayenne and kosher salt,

and roasted,

one large caramelized sweet onion,

a cubed ripe avocado

and sliced firm tofu that has been dried

well and browned in a saute pan.

my favorite part: sprinkle with

shredded toasted nori, sesame seeds

and this stuff, which i am absolutely

addicted to.

serve with wedges of lime.*

*none of this is actually shown in the photos, which is a shame, and a long story. but trust me and use them - they bring the whole thing together.

the perfect compromise

i'm sure it's not easy to live 

with me. i mean of course,

i'm lovely to live to with,

(right, lar?), but 

i'm probably

not always the most

fun person

to prepare

your dinner.

i don't eat red meat,

or most things associated with it,

i'm not wild about chicken

or turkey

and although

i love fish and seafood,

i can often go weeks

without making

them for dinner 

and not even realize it.

so sometimes,

i make meals more 

substantial

by adding an egg,

poached or fried,

and other times,

i have to get creative.

larry loves italian --

i like it. 

but it wouldn't

be my first

choice

of cuisine

(or my second)

when deciding

where to dine

for the night.

so, years ago,

to bridge the italian, 

non-meat-eating

gap,

i started making this

tofu parm.

now, the thing about

tofu is that it has its devout

lovers, 

and just as determined,

haters.

i fall in the first group,

but let me tell you,

even i would want to 

spend too many meals 

eating plain pieces of

cold tofu.

they taste, mostly, like...

nothing.

so do yourself a favor 

and flavor it up. 

marinate it,

broil it,

pan-fry it.

look at it as a 

vehicle

for

sauces and seasonings.

here,

the slices are coated using

the standard breading

procedure:

flour,

egg,

then, breadcrumbs.

you really want to spice

both dry components

well, to ensure that they

do their part.

salt, pepper,

cayenne,

oregano and 

grated parm do wonders.

while, fresh toasted breadcrumbs,

are the tastiest,

i've used panko

(like in this case),

and in a pinch, italian dried breadcrumbs.

yes, i know it's a travesty. 

and, yes, i know that my

can and i could be shunned from

the culinary community just for

the admission, 

but the uncouth crumbs

do wonders for tofu.

(i'm sure the tofu would

be amazing pan-fried,

but i've always baked the

pieces. 

it's less messy 

and

feels like a less-guilty

alternative -

you'll be happy later

when it comes time 

to add the cheese.)

while the tofu

is working so hard 

to make itself

delicious, i try to give it

a hand by simmering together

a quick marinara and grating

mozzarella. 

the great thing though,

is that this recipe can be what you

make it. if you're short on time,

layer the mixture with a jar

of the best sauce you can

find and sprinkle with 

pre-shredded cheese.

and don't feel guilty.  

regardless,

the casserole makes your

house smell like

the best of italian restaurants. 

and when you pull the dish from

the oven,

hot, browned and bubbling,

it's only natural to feel

a growing impatience

that has built in anticipation - 

having to wait to take

your first bite

can be

exhausting.

i will not

go far as to

lie and say

that you will

think you're noshing

on chicken

or 

veal,

but i do think it's

fair to say

that after a couple bites, 

you won't care.

tofu parmigiana

the trick for making tofu taste good, is to drain and blot out as much of the water as possible, which in turn, helps the pieces absorb as much flavoring as possible. to do: drain tofu from container. blot with a couple paper towels. cut into desired pieces. place each piece on a paper towel; top with another paper towel and press. repeat several times and let sit while you prepare other things (get the sauce, started, set up the breading station, preheat the oven, etc.).

also, with the exception of the egg (because i finally learned my lesson - one just isn't enough), i never measure the ingredients for the breading. it dirties other dishes and is always a bit hard to predict, so i eyeball it. it's never steered me wrong.

one last thing, i usually make the parm in a 8x8 pan, but in this case i used gratin dishes. either way it makes enough for about three people, four if you're not very hungry or offer bread, pasta and salad as well. these little dishes (you would need three) are an easier, prettier way to serve, but if you're dining with family and are not concerned with appearences, save yourself the prep time - make it in one dish. and if you're feeding six, you can easily double the recipe.

1 pkg. (16 oz.) firm tofu, drained

flour

2 eggs, beaten with a few drops of water 

fresh bread crumbs or panko

salt, pepper, cayenne pepper,

oregano and grated parm

1 ball (8 oz.) part-skim mozzarella

2 oz. parm (give or take)

about 2 1/2 cups marinara sauce (recipe below)

using sharp knife, carefully cut tofu horizontaly into six slices; halve slices to get 12 rectangular pieces. drain as directed above. place flour in one bowl; add salt, pepper and cayenne pepper (just a dash). place eggs in a second bowl. place breadcrumbs in a third bowl; stir in salt, pepper, cayenne pepper (just a dash), oregano and a healthy handful of grated parm. 

heat oven to 350 F. coat foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray.

using left hand, place one piece tofu in flour; shake off excess. using right hand, dip in egg, making sure to cover and shake off excess. place in bowl of breadcrumbs; make sure the piece is coated and using left hand transfer to baking sheet. repeat with remaining pieces of tofu. spray with cooking spray. bake tofu 20 minutes; turn pieces and bake 20 minutes more until golden brown. 

meanwhile, grate both cheeses.

to assemble: spread about 3/4 cups sauce in bottom of an 8x8 dish (or 1/4 cup in bottom of each gratin dish). top with half the tofu pieces (or two in each gratin dish). top with 3/4 cup marinara sauce, half the grated mozzarrella, half the grated parm and sprinkle with oregano. place remaining tofu pieces on top, in the opposite direction of the first. top with remaining marinaria, remaining mozzarella, remaining parm and oregano. coat a piece (or pieces) of aluminum foil with cooking spray. firmly cover dish. place on baking sheet. bake 25 minutes (20 for smaller dishes); uncover. bake 5 minutes more. turn oven to broil and cook 2 minutes, or until cheese bubbles and begins to brown in spots.

quick marinara

this may seem like a lot of ingredients for something quick, but most of them are already in your cabinet and the amounts can be adjusted (or the ingredients omitted) depending upon what you have. you probably will not use all the sauce for the tofu parm. the rest can be frozen.

1 tbs. olive oil

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. red peper flakes

1 medium onion, peeled and diced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and diced

1/4 cup white wine (optional)

1 can (28-32 oz.) cherry or plum tomatoes

1 can (6 oz.) tomato puree

2 Tbs. grated parm

in saucepot, over medium-high, warm oil with oregano and red pepper flakes. add onions and garlic and cook 6-8 minutes, or until softened and starting to turn golden. season with salt and pepper. add wine if using and cook 2 minutes. add tomatoes, breaking up as you put them in and puree. bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat to low; let simmer 20 minutes, or until thickened. season with salt and pepper; stir in grated parm and cook 2 minute, more.