Holy Delicious Tofu

I had never worked with tofu before, but had always wanted to try cooking with it. Coming off a weekend where all I ate was chips, hot dogs, hamburgers, lobster ravioli and ice cream cake, I was ready to cleanse and get back to eating healthy. (Ok so being in a bikini after not seeing the inside of a gym in the last few months might also be a reason.) I had had tofu a few times in college and wasn't really a fan, I always thought it was too mushy and spongy. I did my research and chose my first attempt tofu recipe well; this is amazing!!!! I thought I was going to take a few bites, gag, and blog about hating tofu, but just the opposite. The tofu was cooked very well (crispier outside with a softer center), and the sauce is delicious. I served this over brown rice, but I think I'd stick to bok choy or another green next time. I think I'd actually pay for this if I went to a vegan restaurant.

Ingredients

1 lb firm firm tofu, cut into cubes (I read that you should always press your tofu, so I put mine between two plates and put a 3lb. weight on top of it to take some of the water out. This helps it crisp better.)
2 tbsp olive oil (Note: you can also use a nonstick pan and just put the tofu directly on the hot pan. This too helps the tofu to crisp on the outside and have a more soft inside. I used the oil, which was soaked up quickly.)
8 Shitake mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated (I'm not sure this would taste as good if you didn't use fresh ginger!)
1 T Asian chili paste
1/8 cup maple syrup
1/8 cup soy sauce
2 T lemon juice
1/4 cup slivered almonds, chopped (garnish)
3 scallions, chopped
Directions

In a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, saute the tofu and mushrooms in oil until the tofu is browned and the mushrooms are a bit wilted. (This took me about 15 minutes. I really watched the tofu and kept "flipping" the pan because I didn't want it to over crisp.) Reduce heat to medium-low and add the garlic, ginger, and chili paste. Saute for 5 minutes. Add the maple syrup, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Cover and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Garnish with almonds and scallions.

In the future, I think I'd save a little of the sauce if I put this over rice again. It was just a tiny bit dry.

Adapted from: http://www.eatmedelicious.com/2007/06/tofu-magic.html.

Weeknight Marinara

In my experience, there are very few things more homey and comforting than a pot of sauce (or gravy, depending on how Italian you are or which part of NJ you are from) simmering on the stove. Not having a drop of Italian in us, my mom and I are constantly trying to perfect our sauces- trying different things, adding different ingredients that Italian people care to share and experimenting on our own.

My best friend, a true Italian through and through, taught me her "meatball and sauce" recipe, though I'll leave that up to her to share here if she feels so inclined. That takes a few hours, and I don't often have that time on weeknights.

I was so excited to see this recipe for marinara posted on one of my favorite cooking blogs and couldn't wait to try it. So with all of the ingredients already in my pantry, I set off to try what I'm calling my "Weeknight Marinara."

 Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 ounce) can peeled whole plum tomatoes, chopped
Kosher salt and red pepper flakes to taste (I used about 2 tsp of salt and 1T of red pepper flakes. Holy hotness!)
1 packet Splenda
3 T fresh chopped basil
2 T finely grated Parmesan (my best friend also taught me to add cheese to sauces to make them more flavorful and rich)

Directions

In a saucepan over medium high heat, add the olive oil and onion. Saute until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and saute an additional minute until fragrant (that's when you know it's the right time to add the next ingredients and "stop" the cooking process).

Pour in the tomatoes and add the salt, red pepper flakes, and Splenda. Stir and bring just to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer, add the basil and continue cooking for about 20 minutes until ready to serve.

Run through blender or Magic Bullet if desired.
Adapted from: http://dinnersforayear.blogspot.com/2010/01/ricotta-gnocchi-in-flash.html (Note: I'm DYING to try this gnocchi, so stay tuned!)

Sanders Hot Fudge Cream Puff

I haven't updated in forever, I know, but we're gearing up for medical meeting season at work and the rest of my life seems to be getting in the way of my cooking. So for now, while I exist on Diet Squirt, Quaker oatmeal packets and frozen diet dinners (yes,it has come to that), I had to share this treat from my parents' hometown of Detroit.

Guinea Pig and I were there a few weekends ago for my cousin's wedding. I took him to Coney (an entry for another day!), and we split a Sanders hot fudge cream puff. This is the most delicious, gooey, creamy, smooth treat ever in life, and what girl doesn't need that on a Friday?

When my mom was working downtown, she used to stop in at Sanders at lunch to get one of these. Is she a smart woman or what? Look at this thing? MMMMMM!