Sunday, July 5, 2009

Sunday

Spicy Basque-style tofu (recipe in the comments)
Saffron rice (recipe in the comments)
Steamed Swiss chard with nutmeg

Hot tea
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We often cut out chicken recipes and never make them, so I recently went through our chicken file and pulled out recipes I thought we could convert into tofu meals. I was especially excited about this one,as we have no tofu recipes anything like this and both of us LOVE these flavors. Also, I love our saffron rice recipe and we never make it. This turned out to be wonderful and I love the tofu with it. We did make a few additional changes (reflected in the recipe in the comments) that I think will make it even better, including using all mild chilies. While tonight's was excellent, it was bit on the spicy side for both of us, meaning T is an unlikely contender :)

FYI: I just steamed the chopped chard leaves (discarded the stems) in the microwave (just with the moisture from washing the leaves) and tossed with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Yum.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Tofu, olives, parsley, chard
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: I'd do this last minute.

Reaction
J: "Basque in the goodness!"
M: "Zesty! Perhaps overly so?"

2 comments:

J said...

Spicy Basque Style Tofu – M & J
Serves 2-3

1 package extra firm tofu, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
1 t paprika
¼ t black pepper
2 t olive oil
5 small cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup sliced green olives
2 (10-ounce) cans diced MILD tomatoes and green chiles, undrained (Such as Ro-tel brand)
2 t anchovy paste
2 T chopped fresh parsley

Slice tofu into eight ½” slabs (cut crosswise). Crumble each slab into uneven crumbles. Sprinkle with paprika and pepper.

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Place tofu in hot oil in a single layer. Cook, without stirring, until browned on the bottom (about 5 minutes). Turn and brown opposite side, then gently toss until all sides are browned (5-7 additional minutes). Remove tofu from the pan and lower heat to medium.

Add garlic to pan; cook 30
seconds. Add olives and tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tofu during the last minute or so of cooking. Stir in anchovy paste and sprinkle with parsley.

J said...

Saffron Rice – M & J
Serves 6 as a side dish

Note: Halves well to make a side dish for 3 or 4.

2 cups uncooked white rice
4 cups water
1 t butter
Salt to taste
½ t turmeric
½ t ground saffron or a heaping ½ t saffron threads

Place water, rice, butter, turmeric, salt and saffron in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low for 18 minutes or until rice is tender and all liquid is absorbed.