Ginger Stir-Fried Tofu with Kale and Carrots
We adapted this recipe from a recommendation in the NY Times, and one important point is that kale is a great choice for stir-fry because it retains its texture.
1 Bunch (about 10 oz) kale stemmed and washed
1 14 Oz package of firm tofu, sliced about 1/4 thick in the shape of dominos
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp of rice wine vinegar
1/4 of chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tsp of corn starch
1/4 Tsp salt
1/2 Tsp ground pepper (white if you have it)
1/4 Tsp of sugar
1 Tbsp sesame oil (canola and peanut oil work as well)
1 Tbsp of minced garlic
1 Tbsp of minced ginger
1/4 Cup of carrots cut into 2 inch julienned
1 Tsp of House of Tsang Szechuan Stir Fry Sauce
Bring a medium sauce pan to a boil (lightly salted). Add the kale and blanch one minute. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely and set up in a bowl near your wok.
Lay the slices of tofu flat on a paper towel and cover with another layer of paper towel.
In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, stir fry sauce, rice wine vinegar, stock and corn starch. Combine the salt, pepper and sugar in another small bowl. Have both bowls in arms reach of the wok.
Heat a 14-inch wok or a 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates immediately when added. Swirl in the oil at this point, coating the lower sides of the pan and swirling the pan to coat the bottom then add the tofu. Stir-fry for one to two minutes and/or until they begin to brown. Add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for no more than 10-15 seconds. Add the carrots and stir-fry for 1 minute. Then add the kale, salt pepper and sugar and then toss together. Add the soy sauce mixture and stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes.
Remove from heat, and serve with noodles or rice. For this meal we went with a basic brown rice.
Another note from the original recipe is that blanched kale can keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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- Dry tofu on paper towel
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- Seasonings staged next to Wok
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- Ginger and Garlic
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- Brown the tofu
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- Add carrots, garlic and ginger
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- Cooling kale after blanch
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- Adding kale
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- Add liquid and the dish comes together
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- Serve over noodles or rice
Tomato Bruschetta
1 Lb tomatoes
2 Cloves fresh garlic finely chopped
3 Tbsp fresh basil finely chopped
6-8 Fresh basil leaves for garnish
1 Pinch red chile peppers
4 Tbsp oregano
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6-8 Slices of country bread (sliced not too thin)
1 Tsp salt
1/2 Tsp black pepper
1 Tsp vinegar
Cut tomatoes in 2, core and clean by removing seeds and juice. Chop the tomatoes into very small pieces and transfer into a colander and sprinkle with some salt (this will help draw out excess moisture). After 20 minutes or so, transfer to a bowl and add the garlic, basil, oregano, red chili peppers, olive oil and a drop of wine vinegar. Cover and leave to marinate at room temperature for another 30-60 minutes. Toast the bread just before serving. Arrange the bread on individual plates, top with the tomato and garnish with a whole basil leaf and serve immediately.
Tomato Bruschetta
Garlic Lime Fajitas (from McCormick’s Recipe Inspirations)
This recipe came from McCormick's Recipe Inspirations and we decided to make it when a friend gave us a package containing the ingredients pre-portioned. This meal is perfect for a busy weeknight when all you need is a few ingredients and a few minutes...
1/4 Cup fresh lime juice
1/4 Cup fresh orange juice
1 Tsp garlic powder
1 Tsp cumin
1 Tsp onion flakes
1 Tsp black pepper
1 Tsp cilantro
1 Tsp oregano
1 Cup sliced onion
1 Cup sliced peppers (pick your favorite colors)
1 Large chicken breast, sliced
Combine seasonings and lime/orange juice in a mixing cup and stir and set aside.
You can cook the chicken and onion/peppers using a regular skillet, an iron skillet or using the barbecue. We used a stove top cast iron grill and it worked great.
Start by grilling the chicken and add 1/2 of the seasoning to the chicken as you grill. Cook the chicken until it is almost done, (6-7 min) and set aside momentarily.
Add peppers and onions to the grill and cook until nearly done (3-4 min). Add chicken back to the grill and stir in the remaining seasoning and cook for another 3 min and remove from the grill and cover.
Using the hot grill (or your preferred method) warm tortillas and serve on the side.
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- Grilling Chicken
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- Grilling Peppers and Onions
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- Finishing the Chicken and Veggies in Iron Skillet
Linguine Carbonara
6 Chopped bacon slices or 1 Cup of diced pancetta
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 Crushed garlic cloves
1/2 Tbsp minced rosemary
1 minced/seeded jalapeno (optional)
2/3 Lb cooked linguine
3 Eggs
3/4 grated Parmesan/Agiago/Pecorino cheese blend
2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
Pinch of pepper
Combine first five ingredients and 1/4 cup of water in a skillet. Cook over medium-high heat so the water evaporates and the bacon/pancetta crisps; about 12 minutes. If using pancetta, you may want to crisp it slightly before adding the water and other ingredients just to give it a head start.
Add cooked linguine to the skillet and toss. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, cheese, parsley and pepper together and whisk in 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water. Toss with pasta until creamy.
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- Linguine cooking
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- Parsley, Jalapeno, Garlic and Rosemary
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- Crisping Pancetta
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- Combined ingredients
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- Whisking egg, parsley and cheese
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- Toss egg, cheese, pasta and other ingredients together
Basil and Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
1 1-1.5 Lb Pork Tenderloin (for 2)
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
3/4 Cup chopped basil
3/4 Cup crumbled goat cheese
1 Tsp lemon pepper
1 Tsp salt
1 Cup of grape tomatoes
Cooking twine or bamboo skewers for roast
Pre-heat oven to 375. Cut tomatoes in half, toss with (olive oil - pinch of salt/pepper) and arrange on cookie sheet or roasting pan. Once the oven is ready, place the tomatoes in the over for about 10 - 15 minutes or until nicely roasted.
Butterfly pork tenderloin using a sharp knife. Place sheet of wax/parchment paper over the butterflied pork and use a mallet to flatten out the roast. Be sure to flatten the roast evenly so when you roll the roast together with the filling inside the meat will cook evenly.
Combine the garlic, basil, goat cheese, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Spoon mixture evenly into the middle of the flattened pork roast and roll the meat until the roast is evenly closed and the mixture is sealed inside. Place the meat in a roasting pan and bake at 375 for about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the meat rest for a few minutes and top with roasted tomatoes.
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- Flatten Pork Tenderloin
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- Ingredients for stuffing
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- Insert stuffing into flattened pork roast
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- Get your mind out of the gutter…
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- Plated stuffed pork tenderloin with roasted tomatoes
Salsa Verde Take Two
You know the drill! We tweak this salsa verde recipe constantly because we have not quite reached the goal, which is to duplicate the amazing flavor of the famous Santana's salsa verde. This time I roasted all of the ingredients under the broiler, including the garlic!
1 Lb (about 10) tomatillos
2 Roma tomatoes
3/4 Cup of fresh cilantro
4 Cloves of garlic (peeled)
1/4 Tsp kosher salt
1 Jalapeno pepper
1/2 Large white onion
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
Peel husk from tomatillos and wash thoroughly. Place tomatillos, tomatoes, sliced onion and garlic cloves on cookie sheet or broiler pan. Place under the broiler for about 8-10 minutes or until the skin of the tomatillos is blackened. EVERY broiler is different, so keep an eye on the tomatillos after about 5 minutes just to make sure. Remove ingredients from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.
Combine the ingredients in food processor and blend. Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the food processor to make sure everything blends evenly. Pour contents of the food processor into a bowl and let cool. Salsa is ready to use after it cools, however, we have found that flavor improves if the salsa is refrigerated over night.
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- Ingredients for Salsa Verde ready for broiler
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- Salsa Verde Take Two
Roasted Chicken with Lemon, Thyme and Garlic
This recipe is a simple and delicious way to roast/bake a chicken with lemon, thyme and garlic cloves.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
1 Cleaned and prepped roasting chicken (roughly 4 - 5 lbs)
4-6 garlic cloves
4 Thyme sprigs
2 Lemons, halved
1 Pinch of salt
1 Pinch of pepper
1/4 Tbsp of Italian seasoning
Place chicken in a roasting pan and ensure the cavity is emptied of the neck and other chicken parts. Add the garlic, lemon and thyme in sets of 2 and try to ensure a even distribution so the flavors work evenly in the roasting process.
Sprinkle salt, pepper and Italian seasoning evenly over the top of the chicken. Place the chicken in the oven and bake at 400 for 60 - 70 minutes. Remove chicken and let rest for 10 minutes prior to carving.
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- Lemon, Garlic Cloves and Thyme Sprigs
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- Roasted Chicken with Lemon, Thyme and Garlic
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- Roasted Chicken with Lemon, Thyme and Garlic
Baked Chicken Thighs with Roasted Apples and Garlic
5 Cups peeled and chopped apples (preferably Braeburn or Gravenstein)
1 Tsp chopped fresh sage
1/4 Tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 Tsp ground nutmeg
4 Cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 Tsp salt
Cooking or olive oil mister
8 Chicken thighs
1/4 Tsp fresh ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 475
Combine apples, sage, cinnamon. nutmeg and garlic. Add salt and stir. Spread the apple mixture on the bottom of a pyrex roasting pan coated with olive oil or cooking spray.
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and arrange on the top of the apple mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is done and apples are tender. Remove chicken and set aside; use potato masher to slightly mash the apple mixture and serve with the chicken.
Chicken Thighs with Roasted Apples
Toasted Orzo with Peas and Mint
This recipe is adapted from a recipe courtesy of America's Test Kitchen
We're in the spirit to celebrate Summer in hopes of inspiring the sun to appear in San Francisco and burn off the marine layer! The following recipe for Toasted Orzo with Peas and Mint jumped off the page when we flipped through America's Test Kitchen and now it is a house favorite! Really easy and really good. Give it a shot and see for yourself!
2/3 Cup Orzo
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 Cup onion, diced
1 Garlic clove, minced
2 Cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 Cup water
1/3 Cup frozen peas
1 Tbsp fresh mint, minced
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 Tsp grated lemon zest
Pinch of salt and pepper
Toast the orzo in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Be sure to keep a close eye on the orzo as it toasts because it may take a moment to get going, but like anything else, once it starts browning get ready to pull the orzo off the heat before you burn the pasta!
Add the toasted orzo, broth, and water to the skillet; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring every few minutes (but not too frequently or it will turn into mush) until the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is tender. All told it should take roughly 15 minutes.
Stir in peas, mint, lemon juice and zest and ensure the peas are heated through (about 1 minute). Season with salt and pepper if desired and serve.
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- Toasting Orzo in Iron Skillet
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- Liquids Added to Skillet
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- Stir in Peas, Mint, Lemon Juice and Zest
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- Toasted Orzo with Peas and Mint
Puff Pastry Tart with Tomatoes and Goat Cheese
1 Box of frozen puff pastry
2 Heirloom tomatoes sliced into bite sized sections or 1 basket or grape/cherry tomatoes halved (your choice)
1 Tablespoon of White Balsamic Vinegar
2 Cloves of Garlic, Chopped or Pressed
1/4 Tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 Quarter Cup of Fresh Basil, Minced
1 Container of crumbled goat cheese (fresh is fine but we think it can be harder to spread)
Combine ingredients from tomatoes to basil in a bowl and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Defrost puff pastry as instructed on the box. Lay out pastry and cut into even squares leaving one section to cut into 1/4 inch strips for edges. Lay 1/4 strips along the border on each side of the chart. Brush the raised edges of each puff pastry tart with egg-wash (1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp of water). Bake tarts for 20-22 minutes and remove from oven. Use fork to gently poke holes and deflate the center of the tart.
Layer goat cheese in the center of each tart (roughly 1-2 Tbsp, or to taste). Spoon tomato mixture on top of cheese and place in the oven for an additional 5 minutes. Remove and enjoy!
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- Slicing Heirloom Tomatoes
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- Tomato Mixture Prepped
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- Laying Out Puff Pastry
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- Deflating Center Portion of Tart Shell
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- Adding Goat Cheese Base to Tart
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- Adding Tomato Mixture to Tart
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- After Second Bake
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- Ridiculously Easy, Ridiculously Delicious!
