Delicious Dinners #2

Tonight we have the outstanding raw Tuscan kale salad, served with tofu marinated in an Italian-style vinaigrette. The warm, chewy tofu is a perfect compliment to the crisp, lemon-scented salad, and the whole thing is an antidote to steamy, summery, Southern evenings. To seal the deal, kale just came into season and my favorite stand at the Nashville Farmer's Market surprised me with a basket of the most tender, mild, little baby kale I've ever eaten. This lovely green is only going to be in season until mid to late June, so hit up your local farmer's market and make this asap!






Raw Tuscan Kale Salad With Pecorino

as published in the New York Times, recipe by Melissa Clark

Ingredients

1 bunch kale (they recommend Tuscan kale, common kale works fine)
1 thin slice country bread (part whole-wheat or rye is nice), or 1/4 cup homemade bread crumbs (coarse)
1/2 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely grated pecorino cheese, more for garnish (pecorino is a bit rich for my blood [$$$] so I replaced it with Gran Queso by Roth Käse.)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more for garnish
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste.


Directions

1. Trim bottom 2 inches off kale stems and discard. Slice kale, including ribs, into 3/4-inch-wide ribbons. You should have 4 to 5 cups. Place kale in a large bowl.

2. If using bread, toast it until golden on both sides. Tear it into small pieces and grind in a food processor until mixture forms coarse crumbs.

3. Using a mortar and pestle, or with the back of a knife, pound garlic into a paste. Transfer garlic to a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup cheese, 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper flakes and black pepper, and whisk to combine. Pour dressing over kale and toss very well to thoroughly combine (dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat leaves).

4. Let salad sit for 5 minutes, then serve topped with bread crumbs, additional cheese and a drizzle of oil.



Italian Tofu

from Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Ingredients

1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
1/2 cup white cooking wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, smashed
A big pinch each dried basil, marjoram, and thyme

Directions

Prepare the marinade by combining all ingredients in a wide shallow bowl.

Cut the tofu widthwise into eight equal pieces. Marinate for at least an hour, flipping after 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400F. Place the tofu on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Flip over and bake another 10 minutes. Place in the broiler for about 3 more minutes for extra chewiness. Sometimes I cheat and cook it using only the broiler, which leaves the outside slightly crisp and the inside dense and chewy.

Delicious Dinners #1

Hot-Sauce Glazed Tempeh, Potato Salad for the Mayo-Phobic and Power Slaw


I know I have been slacking on posting recipes lately. I'm not living on take-out; I've been cooking more then ever. I've just been doing the kind of improvised-dash-of-this-handful-of-that cooking that doesn't translate well to recipes. However, this past Saturday I made the perfect summertime meal that is a snap to put together and full of cool salads that perfectly compliment the rich, spicy protein.



HOT-SAUCE GLAZED TEMPEH
from The Veganomicon

This shit is so delicious. I make it at least once a month. Works beautifully on tempeh, but if you want to use it on tofu, skip the boiling part and drop your rinsed, pressed tofu directly into the marinade.

Ingredients
8 ounce package of tempeh
1/2 cup wine (I used to make it with white wine or dry vermouth but one day I used a cheap house red and HOLY SMOKES. Use red wine!)
1/4 cup hot sauce (I recommend Franks Red Hot or something similar)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (juice from 1 lemon)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Bring a pot of water to boil.

Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a bowl large enough to fit the tempeh slices.

Cut the tempeh (they recommend cutting it into 4 large triangles; I prefer to cut it width-wise into 20 or so thin "slices". It's your call.). When the water is boiling, add the tempeh, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Use tongs to remove the tempeh and then immediately place them in the marinade bowl for 1 hour, flipping them every now again to cover with the marinade.

Preheat the oven broiler. Place tempeh in a rimmed pan (I like to use my cast iron pan for such purposes). Spoon some of the marinade over it and broil for 5 minutes. Flip it and spoon some more marinade over it and cook for another 5 minutes. When the second side is almost done, spoon some of the marinade over the tempeh and let cook for 30 more seconds.




POTATO SALAD FOR THE MAYO-PHOBIC

Like any good country mouse, I love mayonnaise. Matt is a pure-bred city slicker and just seeing the white stuff makes him queasy. This potato salad came from the urge to create something traditional tasting but with a minimum of mayo. I don't mean to brag, but I think I nailed it.

I didn't record measurements but I wanted to give you the gist of it (and everybody likes to personalize their potato salad anyways.) Start with this and add or subtract until you have the almost mayo-free potato salad of your dreams.

ingredients
5 medium potatoes
1/2 cup unflavored full-fat yogurt
1.5 Tbs mayo
yellow mustard
dill (fresh or dried)
apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper
1/4 cup grated onion
1/2 cup - 1 cup chopped celery

Peel, chop and boil the potatoes until they are just soft enough to eat. Throw them in a colander and rinse them with cool water. Meanwhile, mix the yogurt and mayo until they are a homogenous white goo. Add in a good spoonful of yellow mustard, a dash of apple cider vinegar and dill (fresh or dried). Finish off with some salt and pepper until it tastes about right. Add in the cooled potatoes, grated onion and celery. Mix, chill and eat by the bowlful.



POWER SLAW

A very rad lady named Emma posted this recipe on a certain PGH-based message board, and it is KILLER. The measurements aren't exact, so throw away your measuring spoons and just taste, taste, taste until you achieve power slaw nirvana. Emma says it makes her feel like she just snorted vitamins(!!!) and I agree.

ingredients
1/2 head red cabbage
3 carrots
2 tart apples
2-3 Tbs olive oil
3-4 Tbs lemon juice
an inch or so of fresh ginger, grated with a microplane
salt and pepper

With a hand or mechanical shredder grate and combine the cabbage, carrots and apples. In a separate bowl combine the rest of the ingredients to make the dressing. Taste and tweak until it gets your taste buds humming. Pour the dressing over the veggies and mix well. Pop it in the fridge for an hour or so to let the flavors meld. Eat a big pile of it and wish every cabbage salad tasted this good.