Tofu Veggie Scramble

This is one of those go-to recipes that can make a quick dinner on a “school night.”A dash of turmeric and a generous handful of grated Pecorino Romano gives the dish a sunny flavor akin to scramble eggs and might persuade those who are suspicious of tofu to give it a try.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living, March 2008

Ingredients:

1 container (14 oz) of firm tofu

2 teaspoons of olive oil

½ red onion, diced

1 large orange of red bell pepper cut into ½” pieces

1 ¼ cup of cherry tomatoes cut into halves

1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped

3/4T teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon coarse ground pepper

6 tablespoons of grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese

Process:

Drain tofu and place on a couple of paper towels on a dinner plate. Remove more water by covering the tofu with second plate weighted with a small, gently heavy object like a mortar and pestle or a paperweight. Leave for 15 minuets or so. Transfer tofu to a shallow bowl and “rice” into rough chunks with a fork. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the onions and peppers until soft. Add the tofu, tomatoes and spices and cook for three minutes more. Remove from heat and toss in the grated cheese. Serve immediately with rice and a steamed green veggie like broccoli or green beans for a colorful, nutritionally balanced meal.

Berry Shortcake

Everyone agrees that the best berries come from a farmers’ market or, better yet, a pick-your-own farm. But for berry shortcake, the debate still rages from year to year: what vehicle, what kind of cake, should your berries have? I grew up with slices of Sara Lee Pound Cake as a base. I always liked to peel the brown crust that came off in one piece and eat it first. But now Sara Lee pound cake seems too sweet and, I suspect, the ones available now were baked in April and have been quietly soaking in their own preservatives in refrigerated stoarge.

Some savvy grocery stores display angel food cakes next the strawberries in the produce aisle. And while angel food is a (comparatively) low-fat alternative, that cake lacks the heft—and the indolence— to soak up the juices of over-ripe berries.

My ideal shortcake nowadays is a low-key, slightly sweetened biscuit; the buttery quality of the pastry lets the tang of the berries sing through, and sweet biscuits can absorb the juice without getting soggy.

The July-August 2008 edition of Cook’s Magazine featured a recipe for peach shortcake which can be readily adapted to other summer fruits. I made a batch of strawberry shortcakes for a recent family party. They went over so well that I plan to make another batch with a combination of late-summer fruits like blackberries, raspberries and blueberries.

For the fruit—

2 pound of berries (or other in-season fresh fruit)
3 tablespoons sugar

Wash and pat the fruit dry. Cut into bite sized positions, sprinkle with sugar and set aside. If you are planning to serve the dessert later in the day, store the fruit in the refrigerator. But be sure to take it out an hour or so before serving so that the fruit can taste its best.

For the shortcakes—

2 cups unbleached white flour
1 teaspoons baking powered
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cold buttermilk
1 egg
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk. Next, stir in the melted butter; some clumps will form as the butter hits the cold buttermilk, but, incredibly, that’s desired to create a richer shortcake.

Pour the buttery liquid into the dry ingredients and quickly pull the dough together with a spatula. Stir for only 30 seconds or so.

Line a cookie sheet with a length of parchment paper. Butter a 1/3 cup measure. Use the cup to scoop a portion of dough and turn it onto the cookie sheet to form a shortcake. You might have to re-butter the measuring cup after a time or two. Space the shortcakes two inches apart. If you are judicious with your portions, you should get about six or seven shortcakes. Sprinkle each with sugar and bake for 15 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

Let the shortcakes cool before serving. In the meantime, beat up some fresh cream:

For the cream—

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Pour cream into medium ceramic bowl. Add a scant tablespoon of sugar and the vanilla. Beat with a mixer or, for the brave and those trying to work off some pre-dessert calories, beat by hand with a wire whisk until soft peaks are formed. Keep the cream refrigerated until it is time to build the shortcakes.

To serve—

To build a shortcake, slice one in two with a sharp knife. Cover the bottom half with a more-than-generous spoonful of berries. Add the top, a dollop of cream and a berry for garnish.

Indian Chicken Bits

The original recipe for these savory bits comes from Madhur Jaffrey, the Julia Child of Indian cookery, by way of my friend Lois, a consummate yet practical foodie.

It’s one of those gratifying recipes that tastes as if you put a lot of effort into it but is actually quite easy. And it lends itself to multiple uses—you can quickly cook up a batch Wednesday night, then have the leftovers later in the week in a dinner salad or for cocktail-hour snacks. Try them for a picnic!

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s Quick and Easy Indian Cooking (1996).

Ingredients:

1.25 lbs. boneless skinned chicken breasts

1 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper

¼ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon thyme

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon paprika

¾ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil ( I use olive oil)

Process:

Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Raw chicken tends to be damp and rubbery, so don’t “carve” the meat; use long swift knife strokes to cut the bits. Set the pieces aside in a chilled bowl while you prepare the spice mixture.

In a separate bowl, stir together the pepper, turmeric, cayenne, cumin, paprika, salt and thyme. Pause to appreciate the rich smell of the combined spices! Add the garlic and stir in 1 tablespoon of the oil. The mixture will form a stiff paste. Stir the spices into the chicken so that all of the pieces are evenly coated and let sit for ten minutes or so.

Heat the remaining oil in a skillet. Quickly stir fry the chicken until the surfaces are opaque; the pieces should not be fully cooked. Transfer chicken to a baking dish, spreading the bits into a single layer. Cover with a piece of foil that has been lightly coated with oil and place in an 350 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and serve immediately, or drain and reserve for a cold dish.

I serve Indian Chicken Bits with rice or cous cous and a sturdy green vegetable like asparagus.

Theme and Variations:

For a distinctive dinner salad, mix about a cupful of Indian Chicken Bits with a small mango cut into large cubes. Toss with a bag of pre-washed arugula and two tablespoons of Sherry Walnut Vinaigrette. Top with half a handful of toasted pecans. Serve with warmed sour dough rolls or the commercial nann now available in most grocery stores.

According to Lois, the Indian spice mix is quite good on grilled chops and seafood. Marinate item in the spices for ten minutes, then grill until done.

French Green Beans

You can make this recipe using standard summer green beans. But French haricots verts do lend a certain chic—slender, expensive, a little haughty—sort of the Chanel of vegetables.

Serve this colorful side dish with some grilled chicken or broiled salmon. And the next day, combine any leftover green beans with some orzo or cous cous for a bright lunchtime salad.

Adapted from Barefoot in Paris (2004)

Ingredients:

1 pound haricots verts with ends trimmed

1 red onion, diced in large pieces

½ red pepper, diced in large pieces

½ yellow pepper, diced in large pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

Course ground salt and pepper

Process:

Toss the diced onion and peppers with the olive oil in a large bowl. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables on a foil covered baking sheet in a single layer. Place in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Check on every five minutes or so and stir the veggies with a spatula to prevent burning. (I actually like a few “blackened” bits in the mix—they add flavor.)

Meanwhile, steam the green beans until they are tender but still have some “bite.” Put the cooked beans in the bowl that you used for the peppers and onions. Add the roasted peppers and onions, toss and serve.

Yay! Silver Spring’s Farmer’s Market is Open!

OK, I went to the Silver Spring Farmer's Market this morning and admittedly spent way too much money. (I fully expect Michelle Singletary to come out from behind a display of goat cheese and start chastising me, "It's not what you earn, but how you spend it...etc"). But I figure this is local produce, mostly organic, and therefore an investment in good eating and good health. Some of my favorite booths are Spring Valley Farm and Orchard for leafy greens, fruit and posies; Atwater’s Bakery for all things tempting and carbo; Groff’s Content Farm for eggs and “ethical meat;” and finally Charlie Koiner’s Farm for bunches of fresh herbs (each a dollar!)

Tonight for dinner, Dave and I will have a lovely omelet made with free range eggs; some sour dough bread; mesclun salad with a walnut vinaigrette and a slice of apple tart for dessert. Then we'll sit quietly and admire the bouquet of lilacs on the dinner table.

Cheese Soufflé

This recipe for cheese soufflé calls for a two-quart baking dish. I used to have one but lost track of it during my move from Richmond to DC. It’s probably somewhere in the storage unit amid Dave’s 80-thousand record albums. Maybe it will turn up.

In the meantime, I make do with two one-quart baking pans and bake two soufflés, an improvisation that’s now become a kitchen habit. We eat one soufflé the first night, then have the second a day or two later cold with a salad. While that sounds odd, cold cheese soufflé is actually quite good—sort of like an airy quiche.

Adapted from The Williamsburg Cookbook (1971), this recipe serves six and is ideal for a spring dinner party.

Ingredients:

½ cup butter

½ cup flour

2 cups whole milk

½ teaspoon salt

dash of cayenne

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

6 eggs, separated

1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard

Process:

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Gradually add the flour, stirring constantly to make a roux. While still stirring, slowly add the milk to make a smooth cream sauce. Turn up the heat slightly and continue to stir until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.

Stir in the grated cheese bit by bit. The heat of the sauce will melt the cheese into the mix. Set aside and let cool to almost-but-not-quite room temperature.

Separate the eggs. Beat the yokes together with the dry mustard and add to the cheese sauce. Be sure to stir thoroughly so that the warm sauce does not cook the egg yolks.

Beat the egg whites in a separate, large bowl until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the cheese sauce.

Butter a two-quart baking dish and spoon in the cheese batter. For an added “chef’s touch,” try this technique to bake a “high hat” soufflé. Insert the head of a spatula upright into the batter about one inch away from the rim of the baking pan. Run the spatula around the inside parameter of the dish. The center cut section of the batter should rise up as the soufflé bakes.

Place in a preheated 375 degree oven for fifteen minutes. Then reduce the heat to 300 and bake for another 40 to 50 minutes. Serve immediately.

Roasted Asparagus

Next time you go to market, you’ll see a bunch of people dancing a little jig in the produce department. Why? The season-ripe asparagus has arrived! Known as “Knitting Needle Asparagus” at our house, these long, slender veggies are divine steamed with just a dash of salt or roasted with a drizzle of olive oil. Because their season is short, we tend to have them a little too often for dinner, or so Dave complains. But that’s like complaining that you have too many strawberries (which will we will in a few short weeks!).

Here’s a quick recipe for roasted asparagus, a great side for grilled salmon or steak.

Ingredients:

½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 pound of knitting needle asparagus

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Process:

Wash the asparagus and trim the ends two to three inches. Put the vegetables cut end down in to a large glass water until you are ready to cook them. Asparagus are cousins of the amaryllis and should be treated like cut flowers!

When you are ready to prepare the vegetables, remove them from the water and pat them dry. Toss in a shallow Pyrex dish with olive oil, then dust with salt and pepper. Turn the asparagus onto a foil lined cookie sheet and spread them out into a single layer. Place in an oven preheated to 425 and roast for fifteen minutes. Check occasionally and stir them around a bit with a spatula so they’ll cook evenly.

Serve immediately with another twist of pepper.