To Catch a Cook

Tofu Stir-Fry

This should be a simple dish, but somehow I kept messing it up this evening.  First time around I cut the tofu too thick and had too much oil in the pan.  The result was a sputtering mess that didn’t brown properly.  Lesson learned: to ensure tofu success I need to slice it thin, press out the water, rub just a little oil into a non-stick or cast iron pan, and fry until golden.  Once the tofu was done I set it aside and went to stir-fry some veggies (broccoli, red and yellow mini peppers, a carrot and mushrooms), a chunk of ginger, and 3 cloves of garlic in vegetable oil.  Unfortunately, I realized that I’d run out of soy sauce (I use low-sodium, gluten free), so my husband had to make a quick dash to Union Market to save me.  I mixed the soy sauce with some red chili sauce and a couple of teaspoons of flour (to thicken).  The soy sauce mix went over the veggies and cooked a minute longer until the sauce thickened and veggies were tender.  The reward for perseverance was a delicious, cheap and healthy veggie dinner.

Tip: Storing Ginger. I never use more than a little nub of ginger at a time.  But it’s sold in big gnarly chunks that kept dying in my fridge before they found their way to a pan.  I discovered the solution while listening to Splendid Table late last fall.  They suggested peeling ginger, chopping it into useable chunks, and storing it in a jar of vodka in the fridge.  I’ve heard you can freeze it too, but I like the vodka method since it’s easy to chop straight from the jar.  The vodka flavor cooks off when you’re stir-frying.  As a bonus, you get ginger flavored vodka to splash into your drinks.

Green Soup

I was inspired to make this soup while listening to a recent Splendid Table episode.  The recipe seemed a little unnecessarily complex, though, so I made a simplified version:

2 T olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2.5 cups vegetable broth
2 T arborio rice
1 bunch of chard, chopped (stems and all)
Salt and cayenne to taste

I cooked the onions low and slow in the oil until they were caramelized.  Then I added the rice and broth and cooked for about 15 min.  Then I added the chard and cooked about 10 min more.  You can add more broth if it’s too thick.  Use a hand blender to blend until uniform.  Season to taste.  I garnished with a little cheese, lemon flavored olive oil and smoked paprika.