Monthly Archives: December 2011

Roasted Tofu With Wasabi Dipping Sauce

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Julie • 2 Comments

I might need to rename this blog. I’m starting to see a theme. I wonder if “foodmostpeoplehate-butireallyloveandwantyoutoloveittoo.com” is already taken. First the brussels sprouts, and now tofu – maybe next time we’ll tackle lima beans.

Tofu and I do not go way back. When I attempted vegetarianism as a teenager, I successfully cut out meat from my diet; however, in doing so, I also invented an entirely new dietary classification known as “pizzatarian.” I wanted nothing to do with anything remotely healthy, let alone anything that contained the words “fermented” and “soybean.” I did suck down an alarming amount of processed fake meat (the creepy bacon that even has the fake fat marbling), but that was as close as I got to tofu until a few years ago.

At some point I will post the tofu recipe that won me over. This is the recipe that’s won a lot of other tofu skeptics over, though, and it’s so good and so deliciously simple that you should really probably make it tonight. The high-temperature roast gives the tofu the pleasing texture of the deep-fried tofu you often see in restaurants, without the fat and grease. The outside is perfectly browned and crispy, the inside chewy and soft. And with a side of wasabi dipping sauce, it’s nothing less than addictive. Pop out a plate in the afternoon as a quick snack, or serve for dinner with broccoli and rice. And enjoy – if I’d known how to make this in high school, Mama Celeste pizza would’ve gone out of business.

… [click for recipe and more]

Filed Under: Main Dish, Quick & Easy, Snacks, Vegan

Cranberry Orange Muffins

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Julie • 0 Comments

There are two things I always seem to have around: dried cranberries (because I impulsively bought a five pound bag at Sam’s Club last year) and at least one pathetic-looking orange that I bought weeks ago with the best intentions of juicing/zesting/otherwise providing with a good home. And you know the saying – when life hands you a pathetic-looking, abandoned orange, make cranberry-orange muffins.

I first tried this recipe a few months ago when a good friend had her first baby. I was trying to fill her freezer for the next week or two while she adjusted to life with a newborn, and had already made cupcakes, peanut butter chocolate chip muffins, pizza, and mac and cheese – I was down to staple ingredients and a few stray pieces of produce in my fridge, but I was on a roll and didn’t want to quit yet. After digging out my steadfast sad orange and a bag of dried cranberries, I went looking for the perfect cranberry orange muffin recipe and found it on the first try. These are truly divine – they’re perfectly sweet, balanced by a lovely contrast of tartness from the sour cream and zesty orange topping, and they freeze beautifully for a quick and easy breakfast down the road. I can tell you that since I found this recipe, I have far fewer oranges languishing in the bottom of my produce drawer – and these muffins are even better with new, happy oranges.

… [click for recipe and more]

Filed Under: Breakfast

Portabella Steaks

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Julie • 0 Comments

Steak is steak. I will acknowledge that. Obviously a portabella steak isn’t that reminiscent of an actual steak – you don’t have to let it rest, you don’t have to sear it first, and you don’t have to ask your guests how they like it cooked, because it certainly will not have a cool pink center (if it does, there is something very wrong with your mushroom and you should immediately throw it away and send the grocery store a strongly-worded email). However, there really is something about a big juicy bite of a grilled portabella mushroom that reminds me of meat. Maybe that’s because it’s been years since I’ve eaten an actual steak and I’ve forgotten what they taste like, or maybe it’s because of the supposed umami* the mushroom embodies. Regardless, this is the one thing I feel like I can throw on a grill at a barbecue that doesn’t result in people casting sympathetic glances my way as they tear into their steaks. It’s hearty and fulfilling, and won’t leave you missing actual steak at all. It also goes from grocery bag to table in under 45 minutes (including marinating time). That being my first and pretty much only criteria for weeknight dinners, it’s heavily in the rotation around here.

*Umami is supposedly the fifth taste category that the human taste buds can discern – the one that doesn’t fit neatly into the previously defined sweet/sour/salty/bitter packages. Translated simply, it means “delicious,” but the umami flavor is generally defined as meaty, robust, or savory. Umami’s discoverer, Japanese researcher Kikunae Ikeda, identified the broken down form of the amino acid glutamate (L-glutamate) as the source of the umami taste. Guess what’s super-rich in glutamate and hence, really delicious when cooked? Yep – mushrooms. This is allegedly why mushrooms are so often used as a meat substitute, and why the texture and mouthfeel of a grilled portabella is so very steaky. I’m not sure I buy all of that, because I’m a simpleton and my reaction is more along the lines of “chomp chomp chomp, were you saying something?”

… [click for recipe and more]

Filed Under: Main Dish, Quick & Easy

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Julie • 2 Comments

roasted brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts get a bad rap (rightfully so, for the most part). If you’ve ever been assaulted by the distinctly unpleasant aroma of a giant boiling pot of them, you know why. These tiny little cabbages share the unfortunate smell of their larger family members when prepared in the conventional way (boiling, steaming). But when you crank up the oven, toss them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper and let them slow-cook in that dry heat? Oh, that smell seems like a bad dream that couldn’t possibly come from these crunchy little morsels. The edges caramelize and bring out the natural sweetness (I know!! I didn’t know it was there either!), and the outer leaves detach when tossed on the baking sheet, forming salty, potato-chip like bites that you just may end up frantically shoveling into your mouth over the hot oven before anyone sees you.

I was an immediate convert from the moment I first had brussels sprouts prepared this way, to the point where I actually crave them. And I’ve witnessed lifelong brussels sprout haters widen their eyes in happy surprise after trying one (maybe after I virtually forced one down their throats, but that’s not important). Give them a shot, especially right now, when they’re in high season and you can buy them right on the stalk. You won’t regret it.

… [click for recipe and more]

Filed Under: Quick & Easy, Side Dishes

Let’s Start With a Drink: Watermelon-Thyme Cocktail

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Julie • 2 Comments

Whenever I have people over (rare, since my apartment is approximately the size of the a shoebox), the first thing I do is offer them a drink. Aren’t you sad that I can’t have people over more often? Me too. But since this is my first post here, I can’t think of a better way to start than with a cocktail.

Since I can’t have people over much, I often do the next best thing, which is to go to my friends’ homes and have them offer me cocktails. My friend Wendy, in particular, is the master of the casual get-together. Her go-to is a frozen margarita that’ll turn you off the mix-heavy ones at Tex-Mex chain restaurants forever, but every so often she’ll unleash a new drink that leaves us shaking our heads in amazement (and taking cabs home). This watermelon-thyme drink is one of those, and I loved it so much that I made it at least three times over the ensuing months, twice for parties and once for no occasion at all. I’m not normally a tequila drinker, but found that the watermelon and simple syrup gave it a pleasing sweetness that muted the tequila’s…well, tequila face factor (you know what I’m talking about. We all have a picture from college that someone impeccably timed while we were taking a tequila shot. Um, right? Is that just me?). And though I haven’t tried it yet, I’m certain that vodka would make a more than suitable replacement (vodka is a suitable replacement for pretty much anything – water, cleaning solution, therapy). Cheers!

… [click for recipe and more]

Filed Under: Drinks