Someone stopped me at the Goldberger wedding – which was very beautiful by the way – and asked me about a tofu recipe. So, I thought, why not include in my next column a few dishes using this versatile high-protein food that can be meat, dairy, or pareve, depending on the other ingredients you use. Many of the following recipes are quite appropriate for Shavuos, which is rapidly approaching. Good Yom Tov and good eating!
Fried Tofu Salad
1 T. canola oil
1 lb. extra firm tofu
1 T. tamari soy sauce
1 lb. penne pasta
Sauce
3 T. olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 roasted red peppers, diced
10 calamati olives, pitted and halved
¼ c. chopped fresh parsley
¼ c. chopped fresh basil
¼ tsp. salt or to your taste
freshly ground black pepper (be generous)
¼ c. parmesan cheese, optional
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, heat the canola oil in a large nonstick skillet. Over high heat, fry tofu in one layer, making sure pan is not over crowded. Fry until tofu is golden brown on one side, then flip so it cooks evenly. Shake the pan to keep tofu from sticking. Remove tofu from pan into a large bowl and drizzle with the soy sauce. Toss well and set aside.
Drop the penne into the boiling water and cook until al dente. Do not overcook. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add minced garlic and cook for about one minute, making sure not to burn the garlic. (Golden is great, brown is out!) Add the rest of the ingredients, except the cheese, and cook for one minute. Add the tofu and half a cup of the pasta water. Cook for several minutes longer or until tofu is heated through. Drain the pasta, making sure to remove all the water. Return pasta to a large bowl. Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss well. Sprinkle on the cheese, if you like, and serve. Serves 4 to 5 people.
“Chickenless” Chicken Salad
1 lb. extra firm tofu
1 T. canola oil
1 T. tamari soy sauce
2 scallions, minced
1 celery rib, minced
? tsp. garlic powder
3 T. mayonnaise
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Drain the tofu by placing in a colander over a bowl. Place a heavy pot on top of tofu and let stand this way for 30 to 45 minutes. Then place the tofu on a cutting board and chop it until it is pea sized. Meanwhile, heat the oil in nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not quite smoking. Add the tofu and shake the pan to prevent from sticking. Use a spatula to keep flipping the tofu until it’s a golden brown color, approximately 10 minutes. When tofu is done, place in a medium bowl, drizzle with soy sauce, and toss well. Let it cool for 10 minutes, then refrigerate for at least one hour. When the tofu is very cold, add the rest of the ingredients. Keep covered until ready to serve.
Sweet and Sour Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
1 large cabbage
1½ lb. meatless ground beef (or you can use real beef)
1 large onion, diced very fine
1 c. raw rice
2 eggs
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
½ tsp. garlic powder
2 16-oz. cans tomato sauce (I like to use the flavored tomato sauces for extra zip!)
¼ c. packed brown sugar or regular Splenda
2 T. olive oil
4 T. lemon juice
2 bay leaves
Meatless ground beef is called Soy Crumble, or you can use the sausage-style Gimme Lean. Both are available at Trader Joe’s, Giants, Whole Foods, and Seven Mile Market.
Place cabbage in freezer overnight or for at least 2 hours. Remove from freezer and allow to thaw. Carefully peel away the leaves, rinse, and inspect them for insects. Then pat them dry. Set aside.
Combine ground beef and next 6 ingredients. Mix well. Place a mound of filling in center of each leaf. Fold both sides of the cabbage leaf over the meat and roll up jellyroll style so the meat mixture is wrapped well. Shred the core and leftover cabbage and place in the bottom of a large heavy pot. Carefully lay the rolls side by side on top of shredded cabbage. Meanwhile, combine tomato sauce and next 4 ingredients in saucepan.
Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Pour over the cabbage rolls and add enough water to cover. Bring to a slow boil and taste the sauce. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Simmer for 1½ hours. Serves 6 to 8 people.
Home Fries Two Ways
1 medium onion, thinly sliced like half moons
1 T. olive oil
6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
¼ c. olive oil
1½ T. kosher salt
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 350°. In a skillet, sauté the onions until translucent. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, making sure that all the potatoes have some oil on them. Pour the potatoes into a 9 x 13” well oiled pan. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes, or until potatoes are soft. Serves 6 to 8 people.
Cheese Blintzes
4 eggs
1 c. water
1 c. flour
¼ c. sugar
1 packet vanilla sugar
? tsp. salt
1 T. butter, melted (may substitute canola oil)
1 lb. farmer cheese
4 T. sugar (or more, to taste)
1 packet vanilla sugar
2 egg yolks
½ lemon, juiced
In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and water well. Add flour all at once and mix vigorously. Add the sugars, salt, and melted butter, and mix until no longer lumpy. (If I get lumps anyway, I simply put the batter through a sieve. Lump problem solved!) In a 7- or 8-inch frying pan, apply a thin coating of oil. Place frying pan over medium heat until pan is quite hot. Ladle approximately ¼ cup of batter into frying pan and quickly swirl the batter around until it covers the bottom of pan thinly. (We love them very thin.) Fry on one side until small air bubbles appear. Bottom should be lightly golden. Loosen the edges and flip to the other side for 30 seconds, then slip onto a plate. Repeat this procedure until all the batter has been used. Don’t forget to grease the frying pan as needed. (I keep a small bowl and brush nearby and brush the pan with oil intermittently.)
Combine the last 5 ingredients in a bowl and beat well. If cheese filling feels stiff and dry, add a tablespoon of sour cream to lighten it up. (It also adds flavor!) This can be mixed in a food processor or blender, if you have dairy equipment. If not just use any old bowl.
Now comes the fun part! Take the blintz, or crepe (if you are from France), place it on another plate, golden side up. Put 3 tablespoons of the cheese batter on one end of the blintz. Roll once to cover the filling. Fold the sides into the center and continue rolling until filling is covered. Repeat this process until all the filling or blintzes are gone.
In a large frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter plus 1 tablespoon canola oil over a medium fire. When oil and butter is hot, place each blintz into the pan and fry for 2 minutes on each side, turning once. If you like your blintzes firmer, use more batter to make the crepe initially and fry them a little longer.
Portobello Mushroom Burgers
4 large portobello mushroom caps
1 T. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 plum tomatoes sliced
4 romaine lettuce leaves, washed, inspected, and dried
4 slices red onion, sliced thin
4 T. mayonnaise
4 tsp. ketchup
4 slices smoked cheese
4 whole-wheat buns or your favorite crusty bread (my preference)
Grill, fry, or roast the portobello mushrooms, to your taste. My favorite way is to grill them. Second best is to roast them in a 450-degree oven for about 8 to 10 minutes. Brush the mushrooms with the olive oil and season with garlic, salt, and pepper. Toast the buns and shmear mayo on one side, ketchup on the other. Place the lettuce leaf, tomatoes, onions, and cheese on the bottom half. Top with the hot mushroom and the top half of the bun. Be prepared to open wide for the first bite! The home fries go great with this sandwich. A pickle can’t hurt either!
Tomato and Cucumber Salad
4 large cucumbers, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 small sweet onion, diced fine
¼ c. olive oil
2 T. white wine vinegar
garlic powder
Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and season to taste.
Eggplant Roulades
1 eggplant
¾ c. seasoned breadcrumbs
3 eggs, beaten
1 medium onion, diced
? c. canola oil
3 potatoes, peeled, cooked, and mashed
salt and pepper to taste
Peel and slice eggplant, lengthwise, ¼ inch or less thick. Dip the eggplant in the breadcrumbs, then the eggs. Place them on a well-greased baking sheet. Broil or roast the eggplant, turning once, generously greasing the sheet pan again.
Meanwhile, sauté the onion in oil until golden in color. Add the onions and the spices to the mashed potatoes. Mix well. Remove eggplant from oven. Top each slice of eggplant with a scoop of potato. Fold the sides of the eggplant up over the potato and use a toothpick to keep together. Place the eggplant rolls on a greased baking sheet and put into a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes. Serve immediately, or lower temperature to 200 degrees to keep warm. May be served with a mushroom sauce, tomato sauce, or with cheese shredded over the top and melted in the oven for 1 to 2 minutes. Makes a nice appetizer, or if you serve two rolls, it works as an entree.
Mock Tiramisu
1 box ladyfingers
½ c. espresso or strong coffee
1 oz. coffee or chocolate liquor
2 12-oz. tubs whipped cream cheese
1 16-oz. tub sour cream
1 c. sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
In a medium size bowl mix the coffee and liquor. Set aside. In a 9 x 13” pan, lay out the ladyfingers on bottom and sides. Brush with the coffee mixture. Set aside. In a large bowl mix the whipped cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar. Add the melted butter and mix together until blended. Do not over mix. Pour half the cheese mixture over the ladyfingers and gently place another layer of ladyfingers that have been dipped in the coffee mixture. (You must dip the ladyfingers quickly or they will fall apart.) Pour the rest of the cheese mixture over the ladyfingers, dust with a very thin layer of cocoa powder, and refrigerate overnight.
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