I made Sesame-Crusted Tofu with Nuoc Cham for dinner a couple nights ago. To accompany it, we also had rice and a salad from the first CSA distribution this year! I thought it went together pretty easily, though I didn't have fish sauce, so I substituted soy sauce, water, and some miso.
I probably could have left the tofu in the frying pan a little longer to give it nicer crust, but I thought it was great. The sesame seeds gave a nice texture to the tofu. Since I've never had authentic Nuoc Cham, I thought my sauce was pretty good, though it could probably have been a little spicier (I also didn't use red Thai chilies) and maybe a little less sweet. I would make this recipe again, as it is pretty easy to throw together. There is a bit of waste with the sesame and breadcrumbs and egg, but maybe I'll cut the tofu different or just make more the next time.
Enjoy!
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew
For dinner tonight, we're trying something new. I was browsing Pintrest or the food blogs I follow and found an interesting recipe using cauliflower, so I picked some up at the store. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember what recipe I got it for and I couldn't seem to find it, so I searched for a new cauliflower recipe. I found this: Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew. I had all the ingredients and it looked easy enough.
I started some brown rice in our new fancy rice cooker since it takes more than an hour for it to cook, then I started on the recipe.
My variations - I used a curry powder I had on hand (about 2-3 tablespoons) and I added some additional spices - cumin, mustard seed, coriander, and tumeric. I used 4 roma tomatoes and 1/2 a can of green chilies instead of the canned tomatoes. I didn't have any cilantro, and I love cilantro, so that was lacking slightly. I also added salt, I can't believe that salt isn't in the recipe.
I thought it turned out pretty well. The flavors were a bit muted when combined with rice, so maybe some more spices were in order. I did like the combination of the cauliflower and chickpeas, though. Ebon didn't like it - I didn't know he didn't like chickpeas in dishes, so I probably won't be making it again. Oh well.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Chocolate Chia Pudding
It was a busy/relaxing Memorial Day weekend around here. I kept busy sewing since the weather outside was cold and damp. I took a break from my quilts to make a recipe I pinned recently - Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding. Since I've been pregnant, I've done my best at trying to avoid processed sugar and sweets in general, so this was one of the "sugar-free" desserts that I found.It went together very easily. I used 2 teaspoons of honey as the sweetener.
It turned out OK. I wouldn't make it again. The mouthfeel was a bit strange with the little, bloated chia seeds and I think I didn't use enough cocoa or honey. It didn't taste sweet enough or chocolatey enough.
It turned out OK. I wouldn't make it again. The mouthfeel was a bit strange with the little, bloated chia seeds and I think I didn't use enough cocoa or honey. It didn't taste sweet enough or chocolatey enough.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Crisp Polenta Cakes with Braised Cabbage and Beans
Well, I'm at it again. After several weeks of apathy for cooking, which I'm sure may only get worse, I attempted this recipe last night: Crisp Polenta Cakes with Braised Cabbage and Beans. Mine definitely did not turn out like the picture!
The flavors were wonderful. The cabbage was a bit like sauerkraut, but not so pungent. The sauce, with the beer and mustard, was a good mix and complemented the cabbage perfectly, and who doesn't like fried cornmeal with cheese!
The thing I had the hardest time with was the process of frying the polenta. It was probably my pan or maybe I wasn't using "leftover" polenta, but I did not have the lovely little patties that are pictured in the blog post. After a little while and a couple failed attempts, I had better luck, but it was mostly clumps of polenta that were mostly fried, but some that weren't.
My variations:
I was thinking of some other recipe and I used 3 green onions instead - whoops.
I didn't have any apple cider vinegar, so I used red wine vinegar instead. I used honey instead of sugar. I made the polenta (recipe from my favorite cookbook below) a couple hours before, put it in a pan and cooled it in the refrigerator. I used a brown ale that a friend and I brewed - delicious, if only I could drink what was left in the bottle! I skipped the caraway seeds since I didn't have any - I didn't miss them. I threw the beans (I used garbanzos since that was what I had on hand) into the sauce while it was reducing.
Polenta:
2 cups water
2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups cornmeal
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Bring the water, milk, nutmeg and salt in a heavy saucepan to a slow boil. Turn the heat down (simmer). Slowly add the cornmeal, whisk constantly. Cook until the consistency is like mashed potatoes and it begins to pull away from the side of the pan, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the butter and cheese and mix in. Spread in dish or on a greased board to cool - size will depend on how thick you want the polenta. A 9x13 baking dish will give you about a 1/2" thick cake.
I was pleasantly surprised at the results (flavor-wise), and Ebon even went back for seconds. However I probably won't make this recipe again due to the amount of work required. Maybe I'll find a way to use pieces of it in different recipes.
The flavors were wonderful. The cabbage was a bit like sauerkraut, but not so pungent. The sauce, with the beer and mustard, was a good mix and complemented the cabbage perfectly, and who doesn't like fried cornmeal with cheese!
The thing I had the hardest time with was the process of frying the polenta. It was probably my pan or maybe I wasn't using "leftover" polenta, but I did not have the lovely little patties that are pictured in the blog post. After a little while and a couple failed attempts, I had better luck, but it was mostly clumps of polenta that were mostly fried, but some that weren't.
My variations:
I was thinking of some other recipe and I used 3 green onions instead - whoops.
I didn't have any apple cider vinegar, so I used red wine vinegar instead. I used honey instead of sugar. I made the polenta (recipe from my favorite cookbook below) a couple hours before, put it in a pan and cooled it in the refrigerator. I used a brown ale that a friend and I brewed - delicious, if only I could drink what was left in the bottle! I skipped the caraway seeds since I didn't have any - I didn't miss them. I threw the beans (I used garbanzos since that was what I had on hand) into the sauce while it was reducing.
Polenta:
2 cups water
2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups cornmeal
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Bring the water, milk, nutmeg and salt in a heavy saucepan to a slow boil. Turn the heat down (simmer). Slowly add the cornmeal, whisk constantly. Cook until the consistency is like mashed potatoes and it begins to pull away from the side of the pan, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the butter and cheese and mix in. Spread in dish or on a greased board to cool - size will depend on how thick you want the polenta. A 9x13 baking dish will give you about a 1/2" thick cake.
I was pleasantly surprised at the results (flavor-wise), and Ebon even went back for seconds. However I probably won't make this recipe again due to the amount of work required. Maybe I'll find a way to use pieces of it in different recipes.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Baked Mashed Potato and Vegetable Omelet
I made this for dinner tonight!
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Baked-Mashed-Potato-and-Vegetable-Omelet-10257
When I got home I was super tired and didn't feel like cooking, but I also wasn't in the mood for leftovers in the fridge (Chinese food).
I make fritattas fairly frequently, but I wasn't in the mood for full-on fried potatoes. After some searching on my favorite recipe site, Epicurious.com, I found a few options and the Baked Mashed Potato and Vegetable Omelet won out.
The veggies I used were onions, garlic, about 1/4 of a red pepper, half of a zuchinni, and 4-5 white mushrooms chopped up. I made the mashed potatoes with the last of our bulk potatoes from Red Fire Farm, butter and Greek yogurt that was way to sour to eat on its own (it wasn't spoiled, but a new brand I had never tried - it was a fail). I also added a little cheddar cheese - Ebon's favorite. I used rosemary instead of parsley because it was what was on hand and our rosemary plant needed a trim.
The flavors turned out great, but the texture was all wrong. It was just a little too mushy. Maybe if I used a bigger pan and allowed the omelet to get a little crispier, it would have been better. I won't make it again.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Baked-Mashed-Potato-and-Vegetable-Omelet-10257
When I got home I was super tired and didn't feel like cooking, but I also wasn't in the mood for leftovers in the fridge (Chinese food).
I make fritattas fairly frequently, but I wasn't in the mood for full-on fried potatoes. After some searching on my favorite recipe site, Epicurious.com, I found a few options and the Baked Mashed Potato and Vegetable Omelet won out.
The veggies I used were onions, garlic, about 1/4 of a red pepper, half of a zuchinni, and 4-5 white mushrooms chopped up. I made the mashed potatoes with the last of our bulk potatoes from Red Fire Farm, butter and Greek yogurt that was way to sour to eat on its own (it wasn't spoiled, but a new brand I had never tried - it was a fail). I also added a little cheddar cheese - Ebon's favorite. I used rosemary instead of parsley because it was what was on hand and our rosemary plant needed a trim.
The flavors turned out great, but the texture was all wrong. It was just a little too mushy. Maybe if I used a bigger pan and allowed the omelet to get a little crispier, it would have been better. I won't make it again.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Cannellini and Kale Ragoût
I made this tonight:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cannellini-and-Kale-Ragout-109247
Ebon was pleasantly surprised that he didn't hate it- his words, but he still ate pizza for his "real" dinner.
I thought it was pretty good. I'm trying to get more leafy greens and protein in my diet, and this hit the spot - I shredded a bit of Parmesan cheese on top for a little added saltiness/cheesiness.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cannellini-and-Kale-Ragout-109247
Ebon was pleasantly surprised that he didn't hate it- his words, but he still ate pizza for his "real" dinner.
I thought it was pretty good. I'm trying to get more leafy greens and protein in my diet, and this hit the spot - I shredded a bit of Parmesan cheese on top for a little added saltiness/cheesiness.
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