RECIPE TWENTY SEVEN: Tuesday September 26th - hot and sour seared tofu with sugar snap peas

BACK STORY:
Another New York Times recipe, easy and fast tofu recipe. I actually had all the ingredients for once, and it was a quick and easy meal to make.

NOTES:
I made this with Trader Joe's extra firm tofu, which seared nicely in the wok. Instead of fish sauce I put in extra soy sauce and used lime juice from the container because I didn't have any fresh. The peas and scallions were perfect and I sauteed them together with the tofu for a few extra minutes to get a crispy texture. Ate over brown rice.

STARS: 
4 out of 5. Easy to assemble ingredients and quick to cook, but not as much flavor as I would have thought. I think I maybe cooked the sauce too long, so I added a little more soy sauce and TJ's green dragon sauce to the leftovers. 

RECIPE:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014774-hot-and-sour-seared-tofu-with-sugar-snap-peas

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu
• 4 large garlic cloves, grated
• 2 small jalapeño chiles, seeds and veins removed if desired, thinly sliced
• 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 ½ teaspoons grated ginger root
• 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice, more to taste
• 1 ½ teaspoon toasted (Asian) sesame oil, more for drizzling
• 1 ½ teaspoons Asian fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil, more if needed
• 6 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
•  Sesame seeds, for serving
•  Cooked rice, for serving
•  Chopped cilantro or basil, for serving

•  

  Nutritional Information

PREPARATION

1. Drain tofu, wrap it with a clean dish towel or several layers of paper towels and place on a rimmed plate; top with another plate and a weight (a can works). Let drain further.
2. Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine garlic, chiles, soy sauce, ginger, lime juice, sesame oil, fish sauce and honey.
3. Unwrap tofu and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Pat slices dry.
4. Heat a large skillet over high heat until very hot, about 5 minutes. Add peanut oil and let heat for 30 seconds, then carefully add tofu. Don’t touch tofu for 2 to 3 minutes, letting it sear until golden brown. Flip and sear for another 2 to 3 minutes. Move tofu to one side of pan (or stack pieces on top of one another to make room in pan), then add sugar snap peas, scallions and, if needed, a few drops more peanut oil. Stir-fry vegetables until they start to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add sauce and stir well, cooking until peas are done to taste, another minute or two. Spoon sauce all over tofu, unstacking it if necessary.
5. Sprinkle sesame seeds over tofu and vegetables and serve over rice, sprinkled with cilantro or basil.

RECIPE TWENTY SIX: Monday September 26th - roasted cauliflower and broccoli

BACK STORY:
Another New York Times recipe, this one combines my favorite roasted veggies in sauce with almonds. Sounded easy and like a perfect recipe for a cool rainy night.

NOTES:
The recipe calls for anchovies but I added capers, otherwise I followed it exactly. The roasted almonds added a subtle smoky flavor which was unexpected and good. I would cut out some of the oil - adding a bit more to roast the veggies, and very little in the dressing. I also used an onion instead of shallot, and a full lemon.

STARS: 
5 out of 5. Easy to assemble ingredients, quick to put together, and the flavors were delicious. I ate it plain but bet it would be delicious on top of couscous or other grains, or as a side with a veggie burger or tofu. Can't wait to make again!

RECIPE:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11350-roasted-cauliflower-and-broccoli-with-salsa-verde

• ¾ cup whole shelled almonds
• 1 large head broccoli, cut into florets (about 1 pound florets)
• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 1 pound florets)
• 10 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for dressing
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 anchovy fillets, minced
•  Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 cup coarsely chopped Italian parsley leaves

•  

  Nutritional Information

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds on a baking sheet and toast until brown and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Leave oven on. When almonds have cooled, chop coarsely.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss broccoli and cauliflower with 4 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on two baking sheets and roast until tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, mix shallot and vinegar and set aside for 5 minutes. Whisk in anchovies, lemon juice, remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in almonds and parsley.
4. Remove vegetables from oven, add to bowl and toss with sauce. Taste and add more salt, pepper, vinegar or lemon, if needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

RECIPE TWENTY FIVE: Tuesday September 19th - pressure cooker black bean soup

BACK STORY:
Another New York Times recipe, I misread this as a slow cooker black bean soup. I don't have a pressure cooker so needed to make a ton of edits, but it still sounded simple and delicious.

NOTES:
Brought this to Dylan and Rachael's to eat and meet Calvin! I made this on the stove and with canned beans instead of dry, to accommodate not having a pressure cooker. I used Trader Joes soy chorizo, and simmered the soup for about 30 minutes. The avocado salsa was delicious as a topping and I also made it with the yogurt/cumin/lime juice mix from Smitten Kitchen.

STARS: 
3 out of 5. Could be super easy with a pressure cooker but the stovetop version was also fairly simple and came together quickly.

RECIPE:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015847-pressure-cooker-black-bean-soup?mcubz=1

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SOUP:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup coarsely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon mild or hot chile powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons whole cumin seeds
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano leaves
• 7 cups water
• 1 pound (2 1/2 cups) black beans, picked over and rinsed
• 4 ounces diced Spanish chorizo
• 4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
•  Salt to taste

FOR THE AVOCADO SALSA:

• 1 large, ripe Hass avocado, diced
• 2 large plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• ⅓ cup chopped red onion
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced (optional)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
•  Salt

•  

  Nutritional Information

PREPARATION

1. In a 6-quart or larger stovetop pressure cooker or an electric pressure cooker, heat the oil over medium-high heat or using the sauté function. Stir in the onions, chile powder, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to soften, about 1 minute.
2. Add the water, beans, chorizo, garlic and bay leaves.
3. Lock the lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 30 minutes. If using an electric pressure cooker, cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat if using a stovetop cooker, and allow the pressure to come down naturally, about 15 minutes. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow the steam to escape.
5. Stir well. Discard the bay leaves and add salt to taste. The soup will thicken on standing.
6. Just before serving, prepare the avocado salsa by tossing the ingredients together in a bowl. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each portion with a large dollop of salsa.