Making Tofu More than Tolerable: The Lemongrass Tofu Bowl

It is Monday and this recipe is meatless: how timely! If you're not on the tofu train for its' reputation as a heavily genetically modified product, that's fair. Beans, nuts, fish and/or meat can be inputed in lieu of tofu. I have some concerns about tofu, but not enough to nix soya products from my diet altogether. So, if this dish gives me a third nipple, it will almost be worth it due to its sheer deliciousness.

Honestly, I use tofu as a substitute for beans because nobody wants or needs to be exposed to that many farting fits at my office. I am also an impressionable eater and in an attempt to consume less meat for health factors as expressed by friends, family and the media, I experiment with vegetarian recipes. This is an example and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

From: http://www.sproutedkitchen.com/

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice
• 12-14 oz of firm tofu
• lemongrass paste (fresh was unavailable, but always best)
• 2 t sriracha or chile paste
• 1 T lime juice
• 2 t rice wine vinegar
• 1 T fresh grated ginger
• 1 T coconut oil
• 2 T broccoli florets
• 2 large carrots, julienned
• 1/2 cup chopped, green onions
• 3/4 cup light coconut milk
• 2 T soya sauce
• 2 T sesame sauce
• 2 large avocados, sliced

Method

Cook brown rice according to package instructions. 

Cube the tofu into bite size pieces. Combine the lemongrass, chile paste, garlic, lime juice, vinegar and tofu into a bowl. Toss the tofu well and set aside for a minimum of 30 minutes. I marinated the tofu overnight. 

Warm the coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a pan over high heat. Pour in the tofu and marinade and cook until the edges have browned; about five minutes. Add the broccoli, carrots, remaining sesame oil, soya sauce and coconut milk, tossing well to coat with the oil mixture and allowing to cook for about 3 minutes. Spoon in the green onions and mix with the existing ingredients. Serve over rice and top with sesame seeds, avocado and cilantro. 

Blackened Salmon with Mango Salsa & Coconut Yam Mash

I'm very leery of open flames, unless my cooking tool is a stick and my food is in wiener form. Guaranteed this girl would lose her eyebrows if left in charge of the barbecue. Thankfully, I have a co-chef for recipes such as this. His challenge this evening was to get the salmon on one end of the fillet the same kind of delicate, grilled consistency as the other side. This is difficult when the ends vary in thickness.  The level of difficulty increases further when you add the fact that the salmon is sitting above an open flame. We usually wrap ours in foil for this reason and/or watch our fish like a hawk. Anyways, the co-chef conquered and this dish made the we should make this for guests-list. The yam mash doesn't sound very summery, but I happened to have leftover coconut milk and a yam and I found a recipe combining the two. The combination was heavenly, by the way. Coconut rice would rock this dish too. Don't have a recipe? Well, look at that: http://www.lefork.com. The internet delivers yet again.



From: http://www.againstallgrain.com

Serves 4

Blackened Salmon

• 750 g of filleted salmon (skin left on one side)
• 3 t melted butter
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 t paprika
• 3/4 t salt
• 1/2 t onion powder
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/2 t chili powder
• 1/2 t oregano
• 1/4 t cayenne
• 1/4 thyme

Mango Salsa

• 1 large mango, diced
• 1 large avocado, diced
• 1/3 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 2 T red onion, finely chopped
• 1 T lime juice
• 1 t sea salt

Method

Remove the salmon from the fridge to allow it time to reach room temperature. Heat the bbq to medium-high heat. Combine all the spices, garlic and melted butter and paint both sides of the salmon with the mixture. Place the salmon skin-side down on your top grill for 1-3 minutes, depending on the the thickness of the fillet. Carefully lift and flip on its' skin side and continue to grill for up to five minutes. Remove from the barbecue.

For the salsa, combine all your ingredients and toss lightly. Serve on top or with the salmon.

Coconut Yam Mash

From: http://eatwelllivefree.com

Serves 4

• 2 large yams
• 2 t butter
• 1/3 cup light coconut milk
• 1 t thyme

Method

Preheat the oven to 425F. Poke the yams with a fork and place in the oven until the interior is soft (mine took about 45 minutes). Remove from oven and peel off the skin while still hot. Place in a bowl with the butter and beat with an electric mixer. Add the coconut milk and thyme and blend until the consistency of the yams is smooth. 

Couscous with Shrimp, Cilantro, Corn & Avocado

Perhaps it was my August hiatus that sparked a need in me to cook all freakin' week. While most of the week's recipes have already made it to the blog, this little gem has not. The original recipe was meatless, but I had some shrimp in the freezer that were calling so I threw them in. Remember to seed the serrano pepper if heat isn't your thing. Otherwise, enjoy!

Adapted From: https://missiondelectable.wordpress.com

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 3 cups of couscous uncooked
• 4 cups water
• 1 serrano pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 limes
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 4 ears of corn

Method

To cook the couscous, bring the water to a boil. Add the couscous, cover and remove from heat. Meanwhile, in a large pan, toss the cashews on medium heat until golden. Set aside and when cool, chop into smaller pieces.

Toss the avocado into a bowl with the juice of one lime, mixing well and season with salt and pepper.

In a blender or food processor add the pepper, cilantro and juice from one lime. Blend until everything is well mixed and then add the olive oil and process until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a couple splashes of olive oil in the same pan used for the cashews. Coat the pan with olive oil and add the garlic and saute for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the corn kernels and cook together for about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and toss with the cilantro-pepper sauce. Add the vegetables to the couscous, mixing well. Portion into bowls and top with avocado and a little cilantro if you have it.

Avocado Soup - Chilled soup of the year!

I have been searching for this soup ever since my parents advised me of their latest trip north to visit us. Truthfully, I've been looking for this soup much longer than that. My mother has a repertoire of chilled soups she's served at dinner parties over the years that have wowed guests. I have yet to find anything that compares to them and while I continue to make her (and my) favorites, I don't want to serve them to the original chef. This launched me ages ago to find other soups that would complete a summer dinner menu. My mint, spinach soup from a few weeks ago was an attempt to find the one, but this...well this, takes the cake. It has a universal appeal that many chilled soups don't and once the habanero is removed, I think they'll flip for it. Yes, some like it hot, while others do not.

The velvety texture of the soup base combined with a three dimensional topping has texture, punch and a savoury kick makes this my new party soup. I did not expect to enjoy this soup as much as I did. I'll be serving it this Saturday with a crusty loaf of bread, some chilled butter and a crispy salad among other treats. This is soup spirituality for you!

Avocado Soup

Adapted from: http://joythebaker.com

Serves 4

Soup

• 2 Haas avocados
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 T lime juice
• 1 t salt
• 2 T sour cream or yoghurt
• 1 1/4 cup water

Topping

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 small onion
• 4 pieces of cooked bacon
• 2 ears of fresh corn
• 1 habanero, diced
• handful of fresh parsley
• salt & pepper to taste

Method

To make the soup, place the avocado, broth, lime juice, salt and sour cream in a blender. Blend until smooth. Remove the center of the blender and slowly add the water while blender is in motion. Taste and season with salt and pepper as required. Set aside while you prepare the topping.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, about five minutes. Add corn and pepper and saute for another three minutes. Add sliced bacon and parsley. Cook until well heated. Season with salt and pepper.