Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Steamed Tofu with Eggplant

I now present you with another recipe sent to me by Ben Shum, though I believe the credit lies elsewhere; I cite this verbatim because the wording is perfect as it stands.

"slice tofu (medium or soft) in cellphone size pieces
slice eggplant on top or between tofu pieces
put in a bowl and steam till soft (maybe 10-15 minutes)
i think you can just cover the bowl and medium heat (probably need clay bowl)

fry scallions, sliced ginger pieces in oil
pour over tofu & eggplant
splash with soy sauce (or soy sauce for steamed fish)"

Fresh Tofu with Daikon and Ginger

Here's the third recipe I am collecting for fresh, soft tofu, served cold.  Courtesy of Ben Shum.

Ingredients:

Real soft tofu
Bonito flakes
Grated ginger and maybe grated daikon
Scallions
Soy sauce

Directions:

1. Drain tofu and set on a serving dish.
2. Cover with a layer of bonito flakes.
3. Next, add a layer of grated ginger and daikon.
4. Top with chopped scallions.
5. Finally, drizzle some soy sauce over the dish and serve!

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Brussels Sprouts with Pistachios

Two of my favorite things in the world in a single dish!  Adapted from a recipe on allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 pounds Brussels sprouts
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter + 1 TBS butter
  • 2 small red onions (or 1 large onion), cut into strips
  • 3 shallots, chopped.
  • 1/8 cup red or rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped pistachios
  • 1 garlic bulb

DIRECTIONS

  1. Place Brussels sprouts in a medium sized pot with a bit of water and 1 TBS of butter. Cover saucepan and steam 8-10 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are tender yet crisp.
  2. Place a bulb of garlic in a small roasting pan, cover with a thin layer of olive oil, and roast at 400 Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes. Separate and set aside.
  3. Melt the butter in a deep skillet, add the onions, shallots and 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar; cook until onions brown.
  4. Add the Brussels sprouts, sugar and remaining vinegar. Saute over medium heat until the Brussels sprouts are lightly caramelized. Add roasted garlic.
  5. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with pistachios.