Californians are still reeling from the shock and horror of the “worst storm to hit since 2008”. Chairs: knocked over. Drains: mildly over burdened. Pets: damp and smelly. It’s been a battle, but as usual we band together and find it within ourselves to overcome the trials and tribulations we feel as struggling citizens of this “golden” state.
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I recently stumbled upon the Herbivoracious blog and have been having an absolute ball flipping through his recipes. That man knows how to get his vegetarian on like it’s his JOB (which, actually, I believe it is. He’s a chef.)
This recipe is all about the sauce, so if you’re not a tofu kind of gal/guy/whatever, then you can sub it out for beef, chicken, water buffalo, etc. Let me warn you: it’s insanely delicious. Lock away the portions you don’t plan on barreling through well before you begin, or you may end up like me: black-out snarfing over the sink while my cat shot me judgmental looks. She thinks she’s so superior.
Honey Glazed Tofu
adapted a tad from Herbivoracious
20 oz tofu
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/2 thinly sliced yellow onion
Sauce:
1/2 c honey
1/4 c rice wine
1 T rice wine vinegar
2 t sesame oil
1/3 c soy sauce
dash fish sauce
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 t freshly grated ginger
1/2 t red pepper flakes
sliced green onions
2 T crushed minute tapioca (food processor or mortar & pestle)
Prep the tofu by slicing it into 3/4″ slabs and laying it out on paper towel. Press out some of the moisture with more paper towels and set the tofu aside. In a medium bowl combine all of the sauce ingredients and whisk together. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high. When hot, lay the tofu out in a single layer and brown for about 5 minutes. When the tofu is loosened from the bottom of the pan (if it doesn’t “give” fairly easily then it’s not ready to be flipped), flip and cook another 4-5 minutes. Pour off about half of the oil into a heat-proof ceramic bowl. Add the sliced onion to the pan along with the sauce and reduce the heat to medium low. After a couple of minutes, remove the tofu pieces and allow the sauce to come to a simmer. It will thicken nicely, but add some stock if you want a thinner situation.
I served this over coconut rice (a must, in my opinion) with some grilled bok choy and it was delightful. Crispy, saucey goodness–what more could I want?
It’s not in my nature to forget to eat a meal or just not be hungry. I usually think those people who “never feel like lunch” or “had a really big dinner 4 weeks ago” are kidding themselves and would gnaw off my arm out of blind hunger if I blinked for a half second too long. But, over the last weekend, I became (briefly) one of those weirdos. I was on a baking extravaganza, crafting 200 cupcakes and multiple cakes between two separate events, when I plum just….didn’t feel the need to eat. Or drink water. Or think about much other than piping tips, pastry bags, and gigantic blocks of 80% dark chocolate.
It got ugly after day 2. BUT, it was a wonderful weekend and I had the pleasure of bringing tasty joy to a few people, so I really can’t complain. And I can’t resist sharing a photo of the wedding cake and cupcakes I did for my dear friend Lauren, who tied the knot this weekend:
Yea. I meant two pictures.
The point being that my diet over the last few days has been worse than that of Honey Boo-Boo’s entire family, so I had to shock it back into health with something green and leafy. “Welcome, welcome, delicious kale. Oh, you brought a friend? Some toasted seaweed? Quite spiffing, my dear boy! Good show!” It went something like that when I looked in my fridge. Remember: I’ve been quite dehydrated. Talking to an ice box filled with dying plants is just the tip of the iceberg.
I did some research, bought some avocados, and found a delightful mix of dressing and veggie goodness that spoke to my deprived gut. The outcome was filling, delightfully salty with a hint of sushiness (thanks to the nori), and wham-bam good for you.
Kale and Quinoa Salad with Ginger Sesame Vinaigrette
3 c fresh kale, ribbed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 carrot, shredded
1 avocado, chunked
handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 c toasted sunflower seeds
1/2 c nori, sliced thin
1/3 c mandarin orange slices
1 c dry quinoa
2 T olive oil
2 T sesame oil
1 shallot, minced
1 t fresh ginger, grated fine
3 T rice vinegar
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 T honey
1 T soy sauce
dash lemon juice
In a large salad bowl, whisk together oils, ginger, shallot, vinegars, honey, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Toss in the kale and set aside. Cook the quinoa per directions. Meanwhile, toss the avocado, carrot, tomatoes, orange slices, and sunflower seeds in with the kale. When the quinoa is done and slightly cooled, mix in with the kale. Right before serving, mix in the nori.
Note: this makes a good amount of dressing, so feel free to only use half, a tablespoon, whatever your heart desires. Just mix in more if desired and see where the wind takes you.
