Recipe #58 - Tofu Stir-Fry

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My first tofu recipe courtesy of the great Martha Stewart.

Halve tofu block lengthwise; slice each half into 8 rectangles. Arrange on a paper towel-lined baking sheet; top with more paper towels and another baking sheet. Weight with canned goods or a skillet. Refrigerate overnight or at least 20 minutes. 

While waiting, cut up all the yummy veggies.

Transfer tofu to a shallow dish. In a bowl, whisk together soy sause, vinegar, and sesame oil with 1 tablespoon water; pour over tofu. Marinate 5 minutes (reserve marinade).

Heat canola oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook tofu until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Set tofu aside.

Stirring constantly, cook onions in skillet over high heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook about 2 minutes. Add red bell pepper and bok choy stems; cook about 3 minutes. Add peas, and ginger; cook about 1 minute. Add marinade, cornstarch mixture, bok choy greens and tofu. Cook until heated through. Season with soy sauce as desired. Serve with limes. 

Cook's Note: The veggies and marinade can be prepared ahead. You can use 1 pound peeled, deveined shrimp instead of tofu; the cook times are the same.

Rating: 8
Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 pound firm tofu
2 tablespoons reduces-sodium soy sauce, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 small onions, cut into wedges
9 ounces button mushrooms, quartered
1 large red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1-inch squares
1 1/4 pounds bok choy, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces, stem and green pieces separated
1/4 pound snow peas, trimmed
5 paper-thin slices fresh ginger
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons cold water
Lime wedges, for serving

Recipe #4 - Green Pastitsio

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"Pastitsio is a Greek baked pasta dish traditionally made with ground lamb or beef, often with bits of spiced or cured meat mixed in – this is a heavy Greek alternative to Lasagna Bolognese. In this make-ahead recipe, Rach uses an equally traditional phyllo tart filling to lighten up the end result. Though it remains rich, it's not heavy – envision a well-made spinach or vegetable lasagna."

I wanted to make a vegetarian dish this time and I found this recipe off the Rachel Ray website. I bought all the ingredients from Whole Food Market and everything was organic except for the milk and butter. I substituted the Ziti noodles for whole wheat Ziti noodles (which I, personally, like better).

This one took me a lot longer than I was expecting to make. The prep alone took close to two hours. I think that since all the veggies were fresh and I had to cut them all up individually, it made the process a little more difficult. I had three pans going at once: one for the sauce, one for the noodles, and one for the veggies. Then I throw it all together in a casserole dish.

Put all together - before baked in the oven

Since this is a make ahead recipe, I put it all together tonight and will throw it in the oven for lunch tomorrow. Will letcha know the results!

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The Result:

Put it in for lunch today. Delicious! I had two servings. 

Rating: 8
Time: ~2 hours
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
1 pound ziti or long, hollow pasta tubes, such as Buon Italia or Greek macaroni #2*
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
4 cloves garlic, sliced or chopped
1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped
1 large or 2 medium bundles chard, stemmed and chopped
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill leaves
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
Freshly grated nutmeg
1 brick Greek feta in water, drained (about 1 cup crumbled feta)
1 cup freshly shredded or grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Salt

Recipe #3 - Pork Lo Mein

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I woke up yesterday morning with a email from Teresa in my inbox titled "Your Next Recipe". It was surprisingly simple to make. The not so simple thing was getting the ingredients. Mom and I drove all the way out to Poplar to the Whole Food Market and they were closed due to the snow the night before. Which actually turned out fine because we got Jimmy Johns right next to it. I've been craving JJ since I left Knoxville last. I can sum up my college experience in one bite of the #10 Big John.  

I digress. Mom and I went out again the next day and spent over an hour picking out organic ingredients and staring at the Olive Bar. Lol. 

I started by cutting the tenderloin in half lengthwise. Then each widthwise into 1/4 inch slices. In a plastic ziplock bag, I combined the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes, then added the pork. Sealed bag, turned to coat, then refrigerated for 20 mins. 

Pork in soy sauce! Yum.

While waiting I began prep on the veggies. I julienned the red peppers. I had to Google what "julienned" meant. It means to cut longwise in very thin slices. I also minced garlic for the first time. I really hate trying to peel the thin layer off each clove. Super annoying. 

Note: After the 20 minutes, start boiling the water for the pasta and then put the meat on the skillet. By the time the meat is done, the water will be boiling and then the pasta is cooked the same time you add the noodles.

In a large non-sitck skillet, I added the sesame oil to coat the pan instead of the cooking spray which was suggested. I read an article saying that cooking spray is in the top ten cancer causing substances that can be easily cut out of our lives. 

So colorful!

Stir-fry pork and marinade for 4-5 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink. Added the snow peas and red pepper; stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in spaghetti and chicken broth; cook 1 minute longer. Remove from heat. And finished! 

Mom and I were the only ones home to eat it, but it was AMAZING. Mom wants to give a 10 out of 10 and I'm very tempted to agree with her. I really was good. The pork was perfectly tender and the soy mixed with the red pepper, just bursts in your mouth. It was just spicy enough to make my nose run, but didn't have running for for the sink

The End.

Rating: 10
Time: 40 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 - 1 pound pork tenderloin
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups fresh snow peas
1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned 
3 cups cooked thin spaghetti 
1/3 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons sesame oil