A little wile ago, Ben and I decided to take a shopping trip to H Mart. For those that don't know, H Mart is a huge Asian supermarket. I had one by my house in NY, but Ben and I were looking to really explore the one in our neck of the woods. We went up and down every isle and made some awesome discoveries.
First, in our normal supermarket, tofu is usually around $4, while in H Mart its only $1.5! I can't believe how much money I had been wasting. Actually, all of their produce is much cheaper, and with a much larger verity. We also found great non-food items like a knife-sharpener, and some tea accessories.
However, I was on a mission of my own. While on my last trip to Austin, David took me to a delicious Asian restaurant. For the first time I tried rice medallions, and ever since then, I just couldn't get them out of my head. In such a large Asian supermarket, I was really hoping to find them. Finally after a long shopping trip of searching, there they were! We also picked up some of our other favorites like curry and miso paste, and once we got home I threw together a meal I had been craving for months.
What you need:
4 Tablespoons of curry paste
1 large can of coconut milk
2 medium heads of broccoli, chopped
1 pound tofu
1 bag of rice medallions
What to do:
Start by sauteing the tofu and broccoli.
Next, stir in the coconut milk and curry paste.
While everything is simmering, cook the rice medallions according to the instructions on the bag.
Once everything is done, mix it together and serve.
This ended up being very coconuty, with a bit of heat and an authentic Thai flavor. The rice medallions were creamy and chewy just like I remembered. I loves how the tofu and broccoli soaked up all the curry flavors. It was the perfect mix of sweet and spicy.
I was so happy to get to eat these little morsels of goodness. I will be traveling back to Austin again in a few weeks,and hopefully I'll get to have them again!
I have loved miso soup ever since I first tried it, and I remember that first. When I was in high school my mom found a brand of vegetarian instant soups in the supermarket, and I lived on those. They made all different flavors, and one was miso. I remember how much I loved it, and how happy I was that it was vegetarian.
I started ordering miso soup from Sushi restaurants left and right. They all seemed to taste a little different, so I decided to see what really went into miso. From what I gathered, miso itself is made from fermented soy beans. When miso soup is made it can be made with just miso and water, or it can also have fish stock. That must have been the culprit of the unusual taste in the different soups.
That meant I sad had to cut miso soup from my diet, since you never know how restaurants make it. I figured that was that. Then Ben found a really easy miso soup recipe. It was completely vegan and looked easy to make. We pick up some miso paste and Ben made his soup...and it was SO GOOD! After stealing a ton of spoonfuls, I knew I had to make it myself.
What you need:
4 tablespoons of miso paste
1 lb of tofu, diced
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
dried seaweed, crumbled
6 cups of water
What to do:
Heat the water in a medium pot, until boiling.
Once water is boiling remove from heat.
Add the onions, crumbled seaweed, and tofu to the boiling water.
Scoop out a tablespoon of miso, and put the spoonful in the water. While the spoon is in the water, using a fork or chopstick, slowly dissolve the miso into the water.
Repeat 3 more times.
Serve with a few dashes of soy sauce.
This miso soup was amazing! It was so authentic with the perfect Asian flavors. The tofu was nice and soft, and added an element of protein. The onions were crunchy, and added depth to the flavor or the soup. The flavor of the seaweed gave this soup that fishy element that in other soups comes from the fish stock. A splash of soy sauce was the perfect finishing touch. It added that last bit of saltiness that was needed to complete the soup.
Do you love miso soup too? Will you try making your own easy miso soup?
I have featured many different nationalities of food on this blog. You have seen Greek, Chinese, Italian, and even Mexican, but there is one country that this blog has never been too, until now. I have always loved England, I mean who doesn't? They make lots of different foods across the pond, but the one that comes to might right away is the classic fish and chips. Fish and chips are so popular, it is even a common bar food in the states. I have mentioned that my biggest goal as a vegetarian is to re-create meat dishes. I have also mentioned that I have never found a decent vegetarian fish substitute. I guess that meant it was time to get creative.
What you need:
1 package of tofu
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
As you can see, I strayed away from the traditional battered and fried fish, and opted to go more towards a lemony and baked fish. This meal is already non-traditional using tofu, so I thought it was OK to bend the rules a bit.
What to do:
Drain and slice the tofu, then press for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine Old Bay, garlic, salt if desired, and pepper in a small bowl.
Coat all pieces of tofu with the spice mixture, and lay out on a baking sheet.
Drizzle the tofu with the lemon juice.
Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, flipping the tofu halfway through.
Serve hot, with a side of french fries.
Of course, I had to enjoy this meal in true British style, with some vinegar on my chips!
The tofu had a firm, but flaky texture, and being naturally mild, it definitely let the flavors in the Old Bay shine. There was a nice bite from the garlic, a tang from the lemon, and saltiness just as you would expect fish to have. The tofu itself wasn't very fishy, but incorporated the flavors normally eaten with seafood. It was fun trying out something new, and nice to make a tofu dish inspired by foods from a different country.
Have you tried to make your own version of fish and chips?
Living away from home, and buying my own food, has made me very aware of the price of food. I used to love to go out to eat and thought $10 for a meal was cheap. Now that I am cooking a lot more, I usually pay $3-$4 per meal. Its hard to bring myself to order take out when it is so expensive, but sometimes you just need a big bowl of Chinese food, amiright?
On a shopping trip, Ben noticed a brand of Asian seasoning packets called SunBird. They made a few different flavors, a few of which are vegetarian. I have never had Mongolian beef in my life, but Ben knows me well and said I would like the flavors and should try the spice packet with tofu instead. Well, with the spices on sale for only $1 per packet, I thought it couldn't hurt to try.
As you can see, all the ingredients and instructions are printed on the back of the packet. Of course, swap out the beef for 1 package of tofu. Since I never had Mongolian beef before, I asked Ben what veggies usually come with it and he suggested broccoli. I'm not a fan of onions, so I swapped them for 2 cups of frozen broccoli. I decided to eat my meal with rice, but this would work great with noodles, quinoa, or even more veggies!
Before you start cooking, remember to cut and press your tofu for about 45 minutes, then you can continue cooking as directed.
The first thing I noticed was the authentic Asian flavor, it literally tasted as if it was straight out of a take out container! Its had prominent flavors of garlic and ginger, with a big kick of spice. The sauce had the perfect, thick, consistency and almost tasted like Szechuan sauce. The tofu had a great texture, firm but not yet crispy. The broccoli was the perfect addition, adding a nice crunch to the meal. This definitely satisfied my craving for Chinese food take out, and for a lot less money!
Hello everyone! I just want to start off by saying sorry for missing my last few posts. Things got pretty stressful around here and I felt that blogging needed to take a little break while I got things in order. I still have a lot of things going on right now, but I was really missing blogging and I knew I needed to come back!
Today's post is really exciting for me. I'll start with a little story...
Three years ago, Ben and I took a weekend trip to Baltimore. While seeing some of the touristy things (like the zoo) and some me things (like the dental museum), we also ate at a few different places. One night, it was getting late, and we still couldn't decide where to eat. We looked online and saw a near-by diner and decided that was good enough. When we got there, we saw photos of Guy Fieri from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives all over the place. Apparently the place we had chosen to eat at out of pure desperation, was actually a really popular and amazing place.
I had never seen the show before, but after that experience, I would watch it on TV when I saw it was on, just in case it was the episode about that diner in Baltimore. Along the way came an episode about this little place in Philly, called the Memphis Taproom. Now, while Guy usually talks about BBQ and burgers, at the Taproom, he showed us a smoked coconut and tofu sandwich. With Ben still living in the Philly area, I had instantly decided that I needed to try this place.
After 3 years of begging for Ben to take me to the Taproom while I visited him in Philly once a month, we ended up moving in together, to Virginia, without ever getting to go to the Memphis Taproom.
We did plan a trip to Philly last weekend, for Ben's birthday, and he told me that if I still wanted to go, we could hit the Taproom on our way home. I had never said "yes" so fast in my life!
I had been dreaming of the Smoked Coconut Club for years, but once I saw the extensive vegetarian, and vegan menu, it was hard to not stray from the whole reason we came! But in the end I knew that's what I had to order.
While I have to say this sandwich was worth the wait, I am sad that this was not in my life sooner. The lettuce and tomato were so fresh and the sauce was perfectly tangy. The smoked coconut was incredibly amazing! It was so smoky and had a great bite to it. Moist and with a bit of crunch, all I kept thinking of was its resemblance to bacon. Ben actually said it was the most accurate fake bacon he has ever had. I even caught him stealing pieces off my plate!
The tofu itself was a bit on the bland side, with a bit of an eggy taste and texture. The bread was a crunchy and toasty wheat bread that was vegan. Actually the entire sandwich was vegan! As you can see, the sandwich came with a large mountain of french fries, which were crunchy and perfectly spiced.
We decided to split an order of onion rings too.
These O-rings were super spicy and had a nice crunch. The sauce was cool and creamy, which paired perfectly with the spicy fried onions.
This place definitely lived up to my expectations. Even Ben couldn't stop talking about the Memphis Taproom for days. I think he might have enjoyed it more than I did, which is funny since I was the once begging him to take me and he kept putting it off! I wish we could have gone more while he still lived in the area, but I know we will be back. I still need to try the rest of the items on the vegetarian/vegan menu!
I am still getting in the last bit of summer food. Even though it is September, its not Fall just yet. With Labor Day just passed, I decided it was time to make some barbecue! Ok well I didn't use a grill, or meat of course, but I still made an amazing summer BBQ meal!
What you need:
1 Package of tofu
Your favorite BBQ sauce
2 Slices of bread
Lettuce
What to do:
Slice the tofu about 1/2 an inch thick, and press it for about 30-45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and then put the tofu in a baking dish, and cover it with BBQ sauce.
Let it marinade for at least 15 minutes, more if you would like.
Place the tofu strips on a baking sheet (sprayed with cooking spray) and coat again with BBQ sauce.
Bake for 20 minutes, then flip over the tofu strips, Add some more BBQ sauce, and bake for another 20 minutes.
Then assemble your sandwich with the bread, lettuce, tofu, and of course, a little more sauce.
I just have to start by saying that this sandwich was amazing! I literally thought about it all day at work, I couldn't wait to come home and make more for dinner! The tofu really took on the sweet and smokey BBQ flavor, since you know tofu takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it in like it's its job. Pressing the tofu really gave it a great, very firm texture. The crisp and cool lettuce balanced out the sandwich perfectly. I loved biting into the soft white bread, it really helped hold the sandwich together. This was the perfect summer dish. It was so satisfying, I think this could be the meal that would turn a tofu skeptic into a tofu lover!
Do you love BBQ tofu as much as I do? Are you going to try this sandwich?
Hello everyone! I hope you are all having a good week. I have really been enjoying cooking more now that I live in my own place. I can finally spread my cooking wings and make my way through the many recipes that I have been wanting to try.
I absolutely love tofu. As a vegetarian, I feel it is crucial for my diet. I hate just eating veggies, because they don't fill me up, and while pasta and cheese are filling, they aren't good for you to eat all the time. Tofu is filling, healthy, and full of protein. It is honestly the perfect food.
If anyone were to ask what I would want my last meal to be, I would say tofu in peanut sauce. I love peanuts, and mixed with tofu is just a winning meal. I have eating peanut tofu many times in restaurants, but I finally took the plunge and tried to make it myself.
1 Package of tofu
About 1 cup of creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup of brown sugar
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tsp of lime juice
1/2 tsp chili sauce
1/2 cup of soy sauce
1/4 cup of water
What to do:
First you need to press your tofu. Drain out all of the liquid from the package and remove the block of tofu. Wrap it up in a few layers of paper towels, and place it on a plate. Put another plate on top, with something heavy, like a book, on top of that plate, and let it sit for about 30 minutes. This will drain the moisture from the tofu, so it's more firm and it wont fall apart as easily.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, then combine the ingredients for the sauce: Peanut butter, brown sugar, garlic, lime juice, chili sauce, soy sauce, and water. Mix everything together in a medium bowl.
Cut up your tofu into pieces. I decided to make mine into cubes, but you can pick any shape, as long as they are pretty small. Put the tofu in your baking dish, and pour the peanut butter sauce on top.
Bake for 30 minutes, and you're done!
I love how simple this was to make, just mix everything together and throw it in the oven! I served mine with broccoli and fried rice.
Overall, I really liked the flavor of this peanut butter sauce. The mix of the soy sauce with the peanut butter gave it a nice Thai flavor. However, there was a bit too much peanut butter. It felt more like I was spreading peanut butter on my tofu, instead of a peanut butter sauce.
Since tofu is so bland and it soaks up the flavor of what you cook it with, the peanut butter was a little overpowering, but it was perfect with the broccoli. I ended up mixing the tofu and the broccoli and it was amazing. Next time I will add more broccoli, and maybe a bit more chili sauce too, I like my food on the spicier side!
Will you be trying out this peanut butter tofu dish?
There's just something about living in your own place with your own kitchen that really inspires you to finally try out those recipes you've pinned to your Pinterest board. I have numerous folders of food and recipes on my computer just waiting to get posted, but all I want to do is share all the food I've just made. Until I make it through all those folders (which might be a while) you are going to see a mix of kitchens and dishes, from my home in New York, and my new place in Virginia.
Its tough finding food that my boyfriend and I can cook together. He is a big meat eater, and of course I am a vegetarian. On top of that, he doesn't like most veggies, and the ones he does like, I don't like. We have come to the realization that most meals we wont be cooking together, but we still try to find compromises.
Luckily, Ben and I both love tofu. I found this recipe for Honey Lime Shrimp on Pinterest a while back, and thought it would work well using tofu instead. Ben agreed, so we got right to the supermarket to pick up the ingredients. Since we were using tofu, we decided to give our meal an Asian flair, and pair it with fried rice. Separately made of course. I can't stand onions in mine, and the thought of broccoli in his made him wretch.
.
What you need:
2 Packages of tofu (28 oz total)
3/4 cup olive oil
6 T honey
Juice and zest of 2 limes
10 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
What to do:
Cut up the tofu and place in a large dish. Add all the ingredients and mix in with the tofu. Let it marinade in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, stirring half way through.
While the tofu was marinading I made both of the sides of fried rice. I decided to be a kitchen boss and cook them both at the same time.
Like a baus.
Once the tofu is done marinating, place it, and the marinade, in a pan and fry until it is golden brown with crisp edges. Ben had to bleed out most of the oil while we were frying the tofu. There was A LOT of oil, which is good for marinating, but not for cooking.
Ben was a bit bored while I was cooking the tofu, so he deiced to play photographer again.
It was literally the perfect amount of flavor of each ingredient. It had just a hint of sweetness from the honey and the right amount of tang from the limes. Everything came together really well.
The fried rice was a great match for this tofu (and don't worry, I'll show you guys how I make my rice too in an upcoming post). Ben and I both loved this dish. Its always great finding a meal that we can cook and share together.
