Vegetarian Stir-fry

This is one of my most favorite things to prepare for a weeknight dinner, simply because it hardly takes any time and its yum - for those of you who run in the other direction even at the mention of 'tofu', well it doesn't hurt to try something different and maybe give the meat section a break. I have never been a big fan of tofu myself but off late I have developed a taste for it and mostly its restricted to this one recipe :)  
I like that it has very little flavor of its own so that I can season or marinate it to suit the dish without worrying too much. It being low in calories and high in protein earns a big plus on my chart. You want to be sure to use the "firm tofu", otherwise you are just going to be left with broken pieces and that's not very appetizing when it comes to stir fry. 

Ingredients:

firm tofu, cubed (about 15 pieces)

small onion -1 (cut to 1 inch pieces)

fresh ginger, sliced thin

fresh garlic, sliced thin

red and/or green peppers - quarter each if using both

green chillies - 2

cilantro

salt

red pepper flakes

soy sauce - 1/8 cup

stir-fry sauce - 1/8 cup

olive oil - 1Tbs

Directions:

Heat the oil in a pan or wok. Add the thinly sliced ginger and garlic and enjoy the aroma for a minute. Now add the onion and red/green peppers and the green chili and fry until the onions start to brown slightly. Add the soy and stir-fry sauce and mix well. You could try different sauces like sweet and sour, peanut sauce, oyster sauce or anything else that you have a fancy for. Add salt and some red pepper flakes for that extra kick. 

Watch the spice levels - you can do just the green chili or just the red pepper flakes. But if spice is not an issue I would recommend adding both. once you have mixed the sauces, add the tofu and mix to coat them well with the sauce mixture being careful as to not break the tofu pieces. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes and turn of the heat. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with boiled or fried rice.

If you don't think you have enough gravy, add a little more sauce but not too much. It is always a good idea to taste before you add more.

bon appetit !!!

Rubies -- for a hot summer's day

I live in Texas and HOT doesn't begin to describe it. It can get well over 100 degree F for several days and stay that way just like now....for those of you who are right now thinking that's so 'eewww' - let me tell you that it has its advantages. More sun means more time to spend outdoors and more reasons to have ice cream or hit the pool or buy lots of sun dresses :)  I totally love love love the weather and the openness that is all Texas. All that you need is  sunscreen and a bottle of water -  a hat also helps :)  I am leaving you with a wonderful drink for one such day.

About a month back or two, we went to check out 'Taste of Dallas' - for those unfamiliar with it, its a flavor filled 3 day festival that showcases Dallas' top chefs and restaurants. I have been to 'Taste of Chicago' once before and totally enjoyed it. I wasn't overly impressed with Dallas though but that's mostly because of the layout and how much one had to walk around in the wonderful weather we have out here. But once I got to the food stalls, it was a totally different story. I sampled a lot of cuisines but what stuck with me was this totally refreshing drink that I had - It was called "Rubies in Coconut" served by The Asian Mint.

Found out that the rubies were actually water chestnuts covered with tapioca and served in sweet coconut milk. You have got to try this one - Its definitely a keeper. The coconut milk is just sweet enough and you wont believe what the water chestnuts do to this drink. Its crunchy and borrows some sweetness from the coconut milk.

Before you give up on this drink cos its got water chestnuts, give it a try. You will be surprised.

Ingredients:

1 small can water chestnuts

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1/3 cup sugar

red food coloring

1/4 cup coconut milk

Directions:

Chill the coconut milk in the refrigerator. Slice about 10-15 water chestnuts into cubes. Add about 6-7 drops of red food coloring and make sure the chestnuts are all covered. Drain the any excess water and coat them with tapioca starch. To get large rubies, spray the chestnuts with some water and roll them again in tapioca starch. You can repeat this process several times until you are satisfied with the size of the rubies. 

Boil a pot of water and drop the Rubies into it. Once they start floating up remove the Rubies using a strainer and place them in ice cold water in a bowl. 

combine 1/3 cup sugar with 1/4 water to make a syrup. you can either heat them up in a saucepan or just microwave it for about a minute in a bowl. Once the syrup has cooled down add it to the chilled coconut milk. Make sure the coconut milk is not too thick. Check for sweetness and accordingly add more or less of the sugar syrup. Drop the Rubies into the sweet coconut milk. Grab a good book or listen to some good music on the patio and step into paradise :)

This recipe yields about 2-4 servings.


bon appetit !!!

Red Curry

This ones inspired by my life long love for Thai food. I think its the use of coconut and spices that I find very appealing. It is very well balanced and looks great, smells greater and tastes wonderful. 

So another work week night and yet again I am in my kitchen wanting to make something non-Indian for dinner. For the most part I stick to vegetarian food cos that's what hubby dear prefers - so my kitchen is always stocked with a variety of veggies and fresh herbs. I found a can of coconut milk and inspiration hit and I decided to go with a red curry. 

I had never made this before but have had it in a gazillion restaurants, so I am very familiar with the taste and smell that I am looking for. I built this recipe up as I was cooking adding ingredients that I thought would work up to making the dish as close to an original Thai red curry.

Needless to say I was very pleased with the results, else this recipe wouldn't have found its way up here. I would add a few more veggies or chicken the next time and maybe experiment a little with the spice levels and herbs. 

Ingredients:

Olive oil - 2 tsp
Coconut milk - 1 can
Onion (small) - 1, sliced thin
Green onion - 1 cup, chopped
Cauliflower - 1 cup, florets
Bell Pepper - 1, chopped
Green chili -3, chopped

Dry red chili - 3

Ginger chopped
cilantro - 1/2 cup
Garlic salt to taste
Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Red Chili powder - 1Tbs
Ketchup - 2 Tbs
Soy sauce - 1/2 tsp
Brown sugar - 1 Tbs
Chili sauce -1/4 tsp

Directions:

Heat the oil in a sauce pan or wok and saute the sliced onions for a minute or two. Add the chopped ginger, green chili, bell pepper and cook for a another 2 minutes. Add the cauliflower florets and green onions and mix well. Pour the coconut milk and stir. Add the spices, herbs, sugar, ketchup and the chili sauce one at a time stirring it into the coconut milk until its well incorporated.

Cook on medium heat until the cauliflower is cooked - Do not cook them till mushy, it needs to have a bite to it. Add the spices little at a time and check the spice level of the curry. Stick with what suits your taste and stomach. Also add some Thai basil to make it even better. Serve with rice and garnish with some green onion and cilantro.

bon appetit !!!