Spicy Tofu

This was simple and delicious. Tofu is pretty easy to work with, just make sure that you drain/press it well.

Spicy Tofu with Peppers (Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations)

Ingredients

1 block tofu, pressed (to get the extra liquid out) and cut into bite-sized pieces
Thinly sliced onion - about 3 slices off 1 small onion.
Sliced peppers - I used about 2 red and yellow peppers
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp chili-garlic paste
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 c chicken broth
Optional: chopped green onions

Directions
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat
Add tofu and cook about 5 minutes until starting to lightly brown
Add onions, garlic, and peppers. Saute 2-3 minutes.
Add chili-garlic paste, soy sauce, and chicken broth. Stir everything together and bring to a simmer. Let simmer 10 minutes - sauce will slightly thicken
Serve over rice or noodles and top with green onions

Mee Goreng

Many days of the week I end up cooking a "semi-homemade" kind of meal. I have some pre-made sauce or curry and then I just add veggie and meat and serve with rice or noodles. This time, I found this delicious Mee Goreng sauce at Ranch 99. Me Goreng is an Indian dish that you can find at many Malaysian restaurants. Its usually a wok-fried noodle dish with shrimp, tofu, and veggies. I made mine with rice noodles but egg noodles are more traditional. I also used shrimp, veggies, and egg.



Mee Goreng

Ingredients:
1 jar Mee Goreng Sauce
1/2 lb rice or egg noodles
1 package mixed stir fry veggies (as many as you want)
2 eggs
1 lb shrimp
olive oil

Directions:
- Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok and heat at medium heat. Once hot, add shrimp and cook until just pink. Remove from pan.
- Add 1/2 tablesoon oil to wok and heat. Beat eggs and cook in wok. Remove when cooked.
- Cook rice noodles according to package.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok and heat. Cook veggies until just tender. Remove and set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok and heat. Add rice noodles and Me Goreng sauce. Stir fry for 10 minutes.
- Add shrimp, eggs, and veggies to noodles and cook until warm (1-2 minutes).
- Serve!

Note: I used a stir fry veggie mixture with carrots, broccoli, and snow peas.

Pumpkin Bread and Panko Wasabi Pork

Last night I made pumpkin bread and it turned out really well. Its a Cooking Light recipe, so its somewhat healthy (although it does have a bit of sugar in it!).

Spiced Pumpkin Bread (From Cooking Light)

This recipe makes two generous loaves. Freeze one, or give it as a gift. The bread is also delicious toasted and topped with Baked Apples.

3 cups all-purpose flour (about 13 1/2 ounces)
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup canola oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1/2 cup dried currants or raisins
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 7 ingredients (through nutmeg) in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine canola oil, eggs, and pumpkin in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in currants.

Spoon batter into 2 (9 x 5-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool loaves in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool loaves completely.

Yield: 2 loaves, 16 servings per loaf (serving size: 1 slice)

CALORIES 150 (31% from fat); FAT 5.2g (sat 0.5g,mono 3g,poly 1.5g); PROTEIN 2g; CHOLESTEROL 20mg; CALCIUM 18mg; SODIUM 170mg; FIBER 0.9g; IRON 0.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 24.4g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2005


Tonight, I made Wasabi and Panko-Crusted Pork with Gingered Soy Sauce. I served it over simple mashed potatos and with a side salad. I double the sauce because I like lots of sauce and even then I will make some more for the leftovers. This is another Cooking Light Recipe. Its really delicious!




Wasabi and Panko-Crusted Pork with Gingered Soy Sauce (Adapted from CL)

2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 large egg white, lightly beaten (I used the whole egg)
4 - 4 ounce boneless center-cut loin pork chops
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons sake ( I skipped this since I didnt have any on hand)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon wasabi paste
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

Take each pork chop and dip in the beaten egg white then dredge in the panko breadcrumbs.

In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add oil and add pork. Cook for 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pork from pan and sprinkle with salt.

Reduce heat to medium. Add ginger to pan and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. In a small bowl, whisk together broth, sake, soy sauce, sugar and wasabi paste. Add broth mixture to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in green onions. Spoon sauce over pork.