So here's my review of Cod with Swiss Chard and Potatoes, in a nutshell: It was good. It was easy. I'll make it again.
More details, you say? OK, I'll spill, but be forewarned: this will read like one of those reviews I've poked fun at before (if I'm gonna give it, I guess I've gotta take it, too). Here's what happened: as predicted, I didn't use the fennel and basil called for in the original recipe. I didn't end up using the sorrel that I *thought* I would go with, either, because it turns out that that can of fire-roasted tomatoes in my cupboard also had roasted chilies in it. Hot chilies, not the mild green ones. I decided to skip the sauce-reducing step and served the whole thing in bowls...it came out kind of like a spicy fish stew. I should have added some smoked Spanish paprika, but thought of it too late.
I still had a bunch of chard in the fridge, so tonight I decided to try something out. This is very loosely based on a recipe for kimchee stew - not because it has kimchee in it, but because of the general method of preparation. I've mentioned before that I've been searching for a way to cook tofu so that my meat-and-potatoes-loving hubby will eat it. Both of us prefer the texture of firm tofu that's cooked gently in liquid, but if fried tofu is your idea of heaven then by all means, go ahead and fry it before you add the broth in this recipe. I need to write a separate post on anchovy broth, 'cause it's really simple to make and pretty good for you too, but that will have to wait and for now I leave you in suspense.
This came out really, really well. Manly meat-eating hubby even commented that he's starting to really like tofu. The Swiss chard was of the red variety, and it turned the broth a lovely shade of pink - made a very pretty contrast with the white tofu and green chard leaves. And it comes together fast: you can wash the chard during the first 2 steps of cooking, so dinner can be ready in 20 minutes. It's also, I daresay, a Ludicrously Healthy recipe. I'll definitely be making this again and trying out other types of greens as the season progresses.
Braised Tofu with Swiss Chard
Makes about 4 main-dish servings
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small or 1/2 large onion, cut in half and sliced thinly
1-3 cloves of garlic, minced (or pressed)
1 1/2 cups anchovy broth, chicken broth, or water
1 lb (drained weight) firm tofu, sliced into 2x3x1/2" pieces
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
a dash of hot pepper flakes (optional)
1 bunch Swiss chard, washed, stemmed, and leave torn into 2-3" sized pieces
1 scallion, chopped finely
ground pepper and possibly salt (I didn't think it needed any).
1. Heat the olive oil in a large (6-quart or bigger) stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and stir until the onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes.
2. Pour in the anchovy broth and bring it to a simmer. Lay the slices of tofu into the broth, and add the soy sauce, vinegar, and hot pepper flakes, if you're using them. Bring to a simmer and add the Swiss chard.
3. Cover and cook until the chard is wilted and tender, 5-10 minutes, depending on how large your chard leaves are (younger chard cooks faster). You may need to use a pair of tongs to turn the chard over if the pot is very full).
4. Uncover the pot, sprinkle on the chopped scallion and season with pepper (and salt, if you think it needs it). Serve in large bowls with a scoop of hot rice.
Showing posts with label tofu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tofu. Show all posts
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Tofu and Broccoli in Black Bean Sauce
Some smart cook once said that if you don't like something, you should figure out a way to prepare it so that even you will eat it.
I've never been all that crazy about tofu. Not that I have anything against it, exactly, I'm just not a big fan. Nevertheless, I've been trying to eat more of it lately, for a number of reasons that I won't go on about right now. My husband is even less enthusiastic than I am about tofu, but he's being a good sport and eating along. (My son, on the other hand, loves it and that's one reason that I'm using it more...but then I said I wasn't going to get into that. Oops).
Most of the tofu that shows up on my table appears in Korean dishes such as kimchee chigae (a kind of soup/stew) or soy sauce braised tofu. In a pinch, I give it to my hungry toddler to eat as is, straight from the package. We've eaten enough of the stuff that I now have an idea of how to prepare it so that we'll all enjoy it - even if my hubby doesn't exactly shout "Hooray, it's tofu night!" when I tell him what's for dinner. I made this recipe tonight in an attempt to branch out into other tofu dishes. It's based on a recipe for chicken and asparagus in black bean sauce, from an old Sunset Magazine cookbook on Chinese food.
I first met fermented soybeans (aka the black beans in black bean sauce) through a roommate when I was in grad school. Fermented soybeans are small, dark, and smelly; my roomie taught me to store them in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator. In small doses, however, they make a mighty tasty sauce when smashed up with a little garlic and soy sauce.
Back in those grad school days, when I first started trying to cook Asian food, I made dishes in black bean sauce a lot. As my repertoire expanded into Thai, Indian, and Korean the realities of limited storage space pushed those beans out of my refrigerator - I just didn't use them often enough to justify their tying up prime real estate. I got thinking about fermented soybeans again, though, when a friend asked for recipes that use tofu, and I picked up a jar of black bean sauce with garlic. A few days later, with bean sauce on hand and tofu and broccoli needing to be used, I tried out the following dish. It turned out tasty enough that I'm even willing to post it here.
This was quick, easy and because there are so few ingredients, prep work was fast. Get your rice cooker started just before you start heating the wok, and dinner will be ready in 20 minutes. You can substitute other green vegetables, such as asparagus or zucchini, for the broccoli. You can also substitute chicken for the tofu, since that was the original recipe, but then you won't be eating tofu now will you. If you want to be a purist and not use a purchased black bean sauce, smash 2 tablespoons of fermented black soybeans with ~1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic, a pinch of salt and add an extra tablespoon or so of soy sauce.
(A note: there are no pictures to go with this post for a reason. I am learning that I am not a particularly good food photographer. This is bad news, because one of the great things about blogging is that you can show all these wonderful pictures...assuming that you have the necessary skills to get wonderful pictures of your food. I'd rather that you have to use your imagination than look at a less-than-appetizing photo of my recipes).
A few tablespoons of sesame oil (or peanut oil, or whatever you have on hand)
1 small onion (or 1/2 of a large onion)
4 fresh shitake mushrooms (or ~1 cup of any fresh mushroom), sliced
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth, or water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
14 oz firm tofu, cut into cubes
1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1-2 tablespoons of water
1. Cut the root and stem ends off of the onion. Cut the onion in half and then slice it into thin strips.
2. Heat a wok over high heat and add a tablespoon of sesame oil. Swirl the oil around in the wok to coat the surface.
3. Add the sliced onion to the wok and stir-fry until the onion starts to soften or "wilt."
4. Add the mushrooms to the wok and stir-fry until they soften and begin to shrink (they may give off some liquid, but if the heat is high enough this will evaporate quickly).
5. Take the wok off of the heat and let it cool for a moment, then add the broth and soy sauce. Add the tofu and black bean sauce and gently stir so that all of the tofu is partially submerged in the liquid. Return the wok to the burner and bring the broth to a boil. Turn down the heat a bit and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Arrange the broccoli on top of the tofu and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the broccoli is partially cooked. (You can cover the wok to help steam the broccoli but it's not absolutely necessary).
7. Stir very gently to combine everything (a big spatula works well to turn the ingredients over, without breaking up the tofu) and simmer another minute or two.
8. Add the cornstarch-water and stir gently again to combine everything. Stir one or two more times as the sauce thickens.
I've never been all that crazy about tofu. Not that I have anything against it, exactly, I'm just not a big fan. Nevertheless, I've been trying to eat more of it lately, for a number of reasons that I won't go on about right now. My husband is even less enthusiastic than I am about tofu, but he's being a good sport and eating along. (My son, on the other hand, loves it and that's one reason that I'm using it more...but then I said I wasn't going to get into that. Oops).
Most of the tofu that shows up on my table appears in Korean dishes such as kimchee chigae (a kind of soup/stew) or soy sauce braised tofu. In a pinch, I give it to my hungry toddler to eat as is, straight from the package. We've eaten enough of the stuff that I now have an idea of how to prepare it so that we'll all enjoy it - even if my hubby doesn't exactly shout "Hooray, it's tofu night!" when I tell him what's for dinner. I made this recipe tonight in an attempt to branch out into other tofu dishes. It's based on a recipe for chicken and asparagus in black bean sauce, from an old Sunset Magazine cookbook on Chinese food.
I first met fermented soybeans (aka the black beans in black bean sauce) through a roommate when I was in grad school. Fermented soybeans are small, dark, and smelly; my roomie taught me to store them in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator. In small doses, however, they make a mighty tasty sauce when smashed up with a little garlic and soy sauce.
Back in those grad school days, when I first started trying to cook Asian food, I made dishes in black bean sauce a lot. As my repertoire expanded into Thai, Indian, and Korean the realities of limited storage space pushed those beans out of my refrigerator - I just didn't use them often enough to justify their tying up prime real estate. I got thinking about fermented soybeans again, though, when a friend asked for recipes that use tofu, and I picked up a jar of black bean sauce with garlic. A few days later, with bean sauce on hand and tofu and broccoli needing to be used, I tried out the following dish. It turned out tasty enough that I'm even willing to post it here.
This was quick, easy and because there are so few ingredients, prep work was fast. Get your rice cooker started just before you start heating the wok, and dinner will be ready in 20 minutes. You can substitute other green vegetables, such as asparagus or zucchini, for the broccoli. You can also substitute chicken for the tofu, since that was the original recipe, but then you won't be eating tofu now will you. If you want to be a purist and not use a purchased black bean sauce, smash 2 tablespoons of fermented black soybeans with ~1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic, a pinch of salt and add an extra tablespoon or so of soy sauce.
(A note: there are no pictures to go with this post for a reason. I am learning that I am not a particularly good food photographer. This is bad news, because one of the great things about blogging is that you can show all these wonderful pictures...assuming that you have the necessary skills to get wonderful pictures of your food. I'd rather that you have to use your imagination than look at a less-than-appetizing photo of my recipes).
A few tablespoons of sesame oil (or peanut oil, or whatever you have on hand)
1 small onion (or 1/2 of a large onion)
4 fresh shitake mushrooms (or ~1 cup of any fresh mushroom), sliced
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth, or water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
14 oz firm tofu, cut into cubes
1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1-2 tablespoons of water
1. Cut the root and stem ends off of the onion. Cut the onion in half and then slice it into thin strips.
2. Heat a wok over high heat and add a tablespoon of sesame oil. Swirl the oil around in the wok to coat the surface.
3. Add the sliced onion to the wok and stir-fry until the onion starts to soften or "wilt."
4. Add the mushrooms to the wok and stir-fry until they soften and begin to shrink (they may give off some liquid, but if the heat is high enough this will evaporate quickly).
5. Take the wok off of the heat and let it cool for a moment, then add the broth and soy sauce. Add the tofu and black bean sauce and gently stir so that all of the tofu is partially submerged in the liquid. Return the wok to the burner and bring the broth to a boil. Turn down the heat a bit and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Arrange the broccoli on top of the tofu and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the broccoli is partially cooked. (You can cover the wok to help steam the broccoli but it's not absolutely necessary).
7. Stir very gently to combine everything (a big spatula works well to turn the ingredients over, without breaking up the tofu) and simmer another minute or two.
8. Add the cornstarch-water and stir gently again to combine everything. Stir one or two more times as the sauce thickens.
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