Tag Archives: vegetarian

Apr5

Wilted spinach and fried tofu salad

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This salad was inspired by Rachael Ray’s chicken piccata salad, which we make quite frequently.  I wanted to incorporate some salty, fried tofu, and the result was delicious!

Wilted Spinach and Fried Tofu Salad
(serves 2)

1 block of tofu, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 pound of baby spinach, washed
1 T vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 red onion, finely sliced
2 T capers
juice of 1 lemon
1 T butter
kosher salt
black pepper

To fry to the tofu, lay the slices out on top of three paper towels. Place three more paper towels on top of the tofu, and press to remove the excess water.

In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat. Fry the tofu for a few minutes, until the first side is golden brown. Flip and brown the second side. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Season with salt while hot, and slice into bite-sized cubes.

In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the garlic and onions in the pan until golden, then turn off the heat and add the lemon juice and capers. Season with black pepper. Add the spinach and toss for 30 seconds to a minute, until some of the spinach has wilted but a lot of it is still raw.

Serve the tofu over a bed of semi-wilted spinach.  The different textures of the spinach really make the salad.

Mar22

Quick pickled cucumbers

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I love pickles, and fresh, home-made pickles are even better!  I had an English cucumber and some dill in my fridge, and these sounded like a quick, refreshing treat. They’re great on their own, or you could pair them with a pulled pork sandwich, a chicken salad sandwich, or make a mini grilled cheese sandwich, Cuban style.

Try the Mexican pickled carrots if you want a pickle with a little more kick!

Quick Pickled Cucumbers

1 English cucumber
1 T kosher salt
1 1/2 c water
1 1/2 c white vinegar
fresh dill, finely chopped
2 T white sugar

Slice the cucumber into 1/4-inch slices. Place in a colander and salt heavily. Allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the water and vinegar in a small saucepan and bring a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar to dissolve.

Place the cucumbers in a heat-safe bowl, then pour the water and vinegar mixture over the cucumbers.  Toss with as much dill as desired, then cover and refrigerate overnight.  These will keep in the fridge for several days.

Mar21

Miso udon with fried tofu, spinach, and eggs

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For a quick and healthy lunch, I made miso soup with udon noodles. For added texture and deliciousness, I fried the tofu first. I got the idea from those little packets of instant miso with tiny dehydrated pieces of fried tofu. Yum!

Miso Udon with Fried Tofu, Spinach, and Eggs
(serves 2)

6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
Handful of dried shitake mushrooms, soaked in water for at least 20 minutes
4 cups of spinach
2 hard-boiled eggs, shells removed, sliced in half lengthwise
1/2 container of firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch slices
vegetable oil
1 small package udon noodles
2 T white miso paste
2 scallions, finely chopped

First, fry the tofu:
Lay the tofu on a plate or cutting board, over three paper towels. Place three more paper towels over the tofu slices, and press to remove the excess water. Repeat with additional paper towels if necessary.

Once the tofu is dry, heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the tofu and fry for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Flip and fry the other side. Remove from the pan, and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Now, make the soup:
Heat the chicken broth over high heat. When the water is simmering, add the mushrooms (including the water they’ve been soaking in), spinach, and udon noodles. Allow to simmer for a couple of minutes, then stir in the miso paste.

To serve, put a few pieces of tofu and the hard-boiled eggs into soup bowls. Ladle the soup and noodles into the bowls. Garnish with scallions.

Mar20

Quick mushroom, chive, and goat cheese flatbreads

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I was trying to think of a quick appetizer that I haven’t made before, and I decided to try using premade naan as a base for flatbreads.  There isn’t really a recipe for these, you can add whatever ingredients you’d like in any amounts.

Mushroom, Chive, and Goat Cheese Flatbreads

1 lb mushrooms, mixed (I used shitake and crimini), thickly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 T butter
kosher salt
pepper
2 sprigs fresh thyme, removed from the stems
3 pieces garlic naan
2 T chives
4 oz of goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Saute mushrooms and garlic in a little bit of butter or olive oil. Once the mushrooms have started to brown, season with salt, pepper, and thyme.

Spread each piece of naan with a little bit of goat cheese and top with the sauteed mushrooms and chives. Bake for 7 minutes, or until the naan is toasted.

Cut each piece of naan into four pieces to serve.

Mar15

Broccoli, cauliflower, cheese soup

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There has been half a head of fancy organic local cauliflower languishing in our vegetable crisper, and we added some fancy organic local broccoli to the collection on Sunday. Since it’s a chilly 61 degrees in Los Angeles today, I’m making a broccoli, cauliflower, and cheese soup for lunch. My version will be healthy-ish, as I like to preface a meat-heavy dinner with a vegetarian lunch.

We use 1% milk, so I added a couple of tablespoons of cream for richness. You can probably skip this step if you use whole milk, or add more if you prefer a richer soup.

Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Cheese Soup

1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T butter
2 T flour
Kosher salt
Black pepper
2 cups of milk
2 cups of chicken stock
(optional) Half-and-half or heavy cream for richness
5 cups of broccoli and cauliflower florets
3/4 c (or more) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Nutmeg or mace

Melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic in the butter until soft, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the flour stir into the butter to make a roux. Allow the flour to cook for about 30 seconds to a minute.

Add the milk, chicken stock, and cream or half-and half. Bring to a simmer, then add the broccoli and cauliflower. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

When the vegetables are soft, you can puree the soup in a blender or use a potato masher to break up the florets. Add the cheese and stir until melted.

Taste and season with nutmeg or mace and black pepper. Serve with lots of Tabasco!