Grilled Marinated Tofu

With summer upon us and tanktop and short skirt season now in full swing, I've really started thinking about low fat meals. Further, I think that a lot of people eat too much meat, including Percy and I. But to a man that likes his meat for dinner, tofu can be a little bit of a challenge. So, I set out to make a tofu dish so good that he would not only be satisfied in eating it, but would request to have it again!

I picked up this particular tofu through my spud.ca delivery. Soya Nova is run by Debborah Lauzon who uses the traditional Japanese slow cooking method to make this delicious tofu in Salt Spring Island, BC. If you ever see this brand you should pick some up, it is truly delicious and puts all grocery store brands to shame. Plus, I love supporting small family run businesses. If you can't find this brand look for any other artisan made tofus. And if all else fails, the grocery store brand prepared the right way will taste just fine. Just try this recipe:

Grilled Marinated Tofu

• 1 lb firm tofu, drained and pressed, and sliced into horizontal slices about 1/2 inch thick
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• juice of 2 limes (if they are rather dry use 3)
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 3 tbsp mirin (if you can't get this sweet Japanese rice wine you can substitute it with white wine (if using a dry wine add a little sugar), or sherry (if using a dry sherry add a little sugar)

In a shallow bowl combine soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil and mirin and marinate tofu slices for 15 minutes.

Drain tofu and grill over medium heat for 1-2 minutes per side, just enough to leave grill marks and heat it through.

Serve with grilled sweet potato slices, vegetable skewers or a salad.

Wine pairing: Sake!! I am no expert on Sake (I better get drinkin'!) but from what I've read a milder Ginjo sake pairs well with many dishes. If any readers have a suggestion regarding the sake I am all ears! For those that prefer wine, I would suggest a white. Tofu doesn't have a very strong flavour on its own so you must consider the marinade ingredients when choosing a wine. I would opt for a crisp white like a Sauvignon Blanc or maybe a Reisling.

I am gone on vacation this weekend for 2 weeks! We're headed off to our cabin in beautiful Slocan, BC. I will post some great cabin/vacation recipes when we get back!

Enjoy!

What's In Season?

I was going to post a marinated and grilled tofu recipe today but I forgot it at home! I will try to get it up tomorrow - it's a really good one and Percy took a beautiful picture of the finished product. But, I think a "what's in season" email is overdue so I'll take this opportunity to write about that. I find this time of year very exciting with all the available fresh produce coming into season. And if you have the choice, please shop at farmers markets and support your local and provincial farmers!!!

I wrote in a post last year about my love for Vidalia onions, and guess what? They are back! When I was at Coop this past weekend I noticed a heaping basket full of them and threw a bunch into my cart. If you have never tried this sweet onion that is named after its birthplace in Georgia you are missing out. This onion is mild and sweet and can be eaten raw without offending any delicate taste buds (or noses!) As you can see from the picture above the Vidalia onion is rather squat compared the average yellow or white onion. So, next time you're at the market look for these onions and then go back to your kitchen and get creative! Think mild or fruity salsas and chutneys spiked with chunks of sweet onions, a Moroccan inspired salad of thin sweet onion slices with orange wedges, or brush them with a little olive oil and toss them on the grill in great big slices to serve alongside your steak.

Some other fantastic summer items to look for, listed with their availability in most Canadian markets, are:

Fruit

• Apricots (July to August)
• Avocados (April to August)
• Blueberries (July to September)
• Cantaloupe (July to September)
• Cherries (late June to early August - But! In Creston, BC you can get cherries up until labour day!! Just in case you're in the area)
• Honeydew (July to September)
• Peaches (mid-July to mid-September)
• Plums (mid-July to late September)
• Raspberries (July - some available until September)
• Rhubarb (early May to July)
• Strawberries (early June to mid/late July, and some available until September)

Vegetables

• Artichokes (spring, fall)
• Asparagus (April to Late June) - hurry!!
• Beans, green/yellow wax (July to late September)
• Beets (July to mid-October)
• Broccoli (July to late October)
• Cabbage (July to November)
• Carrots (July to late September)
• Green Onions (July to September)
• Lettuce, Boston (June to September)
• Lettuce, Iceberg (July to end of September)
• Lettuce, Romaine (June to end of September)
• Peas (mid-June to late July)
• Potatoes, new (July to September)
• Radishes (June to September)
• Spinach (June to October)
• Zucchini (July to late September)

Some of the items I listed you may have already seen available at markets. When produce appears early on the shelves I generally do not rush to buy them as they flavour I find is often lacking. Nothing is worse then buying the first strawberries or corn of the season only to find the strawberries are sour and the corn is far from sweet. Be patient and you will be rewarded!

If you have any questions about other fruits and veggies not in this list please post your questions or send me an email and I will be happy to help! Enjoy!

Brown Rice & Bananas

This dish contains more than brown rice and bananas, but since they are my favourite part of this recipe they get to star in the title! More often than not, by the end of the week I am left with bananas that will never make the trip to work without becoming too battered and bruised for my taste. Generally I toss them in the freezer for a future banana bread making frenzy - it's nice to make a few loaves or pans of muffins all at once (that recipe is upcoming, I just need to upload the picture!) - but sometimes I like to put them to another use.

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I just love the sweetness of the banana with the other savoury ingredients in this dish. The array of different textures is also very pleasing as is the satisfaction of knowing you are nourishing your body well with healthy food!

Brown Rice & Bananas

• 1 cup sweet, short grain brown rice (I just love all forms of sticky rice, but feel free to use any plain old brown rice for this)
• 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium sized sweet potato, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 medium or large onion, diced (I just used a regular spanish onion, but a sweet variety would be great!)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (some chopped fresh chiles would be great instead, just add to taste)
• 1-2 bananas, sliced

Cook rice in a pot on the stove top or in a rice cooker. Meanwhile, chop up all ingredients except for the bananas.

When the rice is almost done, heat your olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the sweet potato first and sauté until soft, stirring often. Next, add the onion and red pepper flakes, sauté until all is slightly browned, stirring often. Add the garlic and sauté for about 2 more minutes, still stirring often.

Turn down the heat to low and stir in the rice. Once well incorporated, add the sliced bananas, stir again, remove from heat and serve.

**One thing to note: the bananas will not reheat well. If you plan to have leftovers just add the bananas to the rice once plated.

Enjoy!

Mini Egg Soufflées

One weekend morning I was rooting through my fridge to see what I could make Percy and I for breakfast. Next to the fruit bowl was half a whole wheat baguette from the previous night's dinner that had gone stale. It brought to mind this delicious baked breakfast strata that I sometimes make (from Chef at Home) that uses stale bread, eggs, layers of peppers and onions, cheese and ham or bacon, all baked together in a bain marie. But I didn't have over an hour to let it bake, nor did I have on hand some of the ingredients I like to use. So I improvised and came up with these individual portion sized mini soufflées - I hope you enjoy them! They puff of nicely and hold their shape.

These would make the perfect brunch item as you could assemble them ahead of time, just adding the eggs at the last minute.

Mini Egg Soufflées

I baked these in a muffin tin. So when preparing your ingredients think: 1 egg per cup plus 3-4 chunks of bread per cup.

• Stale whole wheat bread, baguette, buns, whatever you have on hand, cut into half inch cubes. Remember that if you are using whole grain bread to expect the flavour of the different grains to impact the overall taste. (You can prepare the bread the night before and leave it out in a bowl so that it goes stale).
• Beaten eggs, one for every cup.
• Freshly grated Asiago, enough to add about 1 heaping Tbsp to each cup.
• Chipotle sauce, a few drops per cup
• Sea salt and pepper

You can of course play with these ingredients. Some to try are:

• Chopped green onions
• Any type of pepper or chile (think bell peppers, roasted peppers, or smoky flavours like chipotles in adobo)
• Chopped olives, any type that you like
• Freshly chopped herbs like oregano, tarragon, basil or dill.
• Bacon pieces
• Sausage slices

I used a silicon muffin tin (seems strange to call it a tin when it's made from silicon!), so I didn't have to grease the cups. If you are using a regular muffin tin, lightly grease or spray the cups with cooking spray.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Arrange 3-4 chunks of bread in each cup (when deciding how much bread to add think about how much room you need for your other ingredients and the egg).

Sprinkle all other ingredients into the cups. Lastly, add one beaten egg to each cup and sprinkle with salt and pepper. (I beat all the eggs together and then just slowly pour into each cup, leveling them all off).

Place in oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until soufflées are puffed up and and slightly firm to the touch. Using a spoon, pop out each soufflé, plate, and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Deviled Eggs

I love deviled eggs. They are one of those foods I should not be alone with. Like with pizza, my stomach knows no bounds when it comes to how may deviled eggs I could eat! I think that is why they are really called "deviled" eggs!

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Growing up they frequently made an appearance at family functions. And with springtime rolling in, and with BBQs and outdoor parties to attend, here's a recipe you can wow your friends and family with - it's all in the presentation. Deviled eggs are also an economic dish to make - in fact the toppings might be more expensive than the eggs! So get creative with your egg toppings - wouldn't bacon pieces be good?? Just like eggs and bacon! You could even add a little slice of cherry tomato. For more ideas see the recipe below.

I've always wanted a deviled egg tray (you know, the plates with the egg shaped indentations that hold your deviled eggs just right), so please, if you have one - use it!

Deviled Eggs

Makes 12 eggs

The Eggs

• 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and cut lengthwise.
• ¼ cup mayonnaise or salad dressing (if you use mayo you might want to add a little sugar).
• ½ teaspoon dry ground mustard, yellow mustard, hot, or whole-grain mustard (pick your preference here keeping in mind that your guests may or may not like hot flavours).
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Toppings

• The classic paprika – splurge a little here and get your hands on some good quality paprika, such as Hungarian or Spanish. These can range from delicate to hot, choose whichever one (or two!) that strike(s) your fancy.

• Chopped olives: try high-quality black olives (never buy “California ripened”, they are picked unripe and then treated with chemicals), kalamata or green. For an extra zip try olives stuffed with jalapenos.

• Sundried tomatoes, sliced into small slivers.

• Roasted green chilies or other hot peppers, finely chopped.

• A variety of chopped herbs such as dill, basil or chives.

• Crunchy vegetables such as celery, radish or carrot, finely chopped or slivered.
  
  1. For perfect hard-boiled eggs: Put eggs with enough water to cover them in a saucepan. Cover, bring to a boil, and then turn off heat. Leave the covered saucepan where it is for 12 minutes. Transfer eggs to an ice bath to cool. This will not only quickly cool them, but it will shrink the egg away from the shell to ensure that you get a perfect egg when you peel it!
  
  2. After the eggs have cooled and are peeled, pop out or gently scoop the egg yolks into a small bowl and mash with a fork or beat with an electric mixer until smooth (this is important if you chose to use a piping bag to fill the eggs). Add the other egg ingredients and mix thoroughly. Taste to see if you are happy with the balance of flavors. Using a small spoon or a piping bag, fill the empty egg whites with the mixture. ***Note: using a piping bag really isn't very hard and the results are well worth your efforts. You can usually find one at your supermarket and it will work fine.
  
  3. Cover eggs lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one day before serving. When ready to serve, arrange eggs on a tray and serve with any of the suggested toppings. You can top them yourself or serve the toppings on the side.

Wine pairing: try a bubbly, a Prosecco, a crisp white wine (ie. Sauvingnon Blanc), or a light and subtle red (ie. Beaujolais). Personally, my favourite pairing would be a dry rosé. Let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

Baniza!

This lovely (yet steamy) picture of Baniza is making my mouth water! I wish I was at home cooking! I've mentioned once before on this blog (see Wild Rice Risotto) our Bulgarian friends, Slavy and Yanko. This is one of Slavy's many great dishes that she makes when we go over to their house for dinner. She's brought this one to work as well and it is always met with a warm reception. And for good reason! This phyllo, yogurt and feta concoction is fabulous! I'm so happy that I now have this recipe, I know you will enjoy it too. Slavy doesn't measure for this one, so I hope my measurements are clear and work out for you. You can always email or post any questions.

Baniza

• 1 pkg phyllo pastry (found in the frozen foods aisle)
• 4-5 eggs, well beaten
• 1 egg, beaten, to brush on top
• 1 1/2-2 cups feta, crumbled
• 1/2 cup or so of plain yogurt
• 1 cup oil (Slavy uses Canola, I think I would use Olive - if not butter!! ha!)

Open up your package of phyllo and open it out so all sheets are stacked and flat.

1. Incorporate the crumbled feta and yogurt into the beaten eggs. Sprinkle a scant 1/4 or so of the egg/feta/yogurt mixture all over the top of the phyllo, followed by a tbsp or 2 of oil. It's ok if not every bit of phyllo is covered, just sprinkle it on and then quickly brush it around with the back of a spoon.
2. Take the two top pieces of phyllo and roll it up - start from the longest side - to form a log. Coil this is up, and place in the middle of the pan. Slavy has this awesome, large pan (featured above in the picture) that she got in Bulgaria. I plan to use my large skillet that is oven proof since I don't have a pan as large as hers. Alternatively, you could cut this recipe in half and use a pie plate. If you look at the picture you can see how it is coiled up.
3. Repeat step 2, coiling the next piece around the centre piece, until the pan is full. If you have leftover phyllo you can always freeze it for another use.
4. Preheat oven to 350° and brush one beaten egg over top of completed baniza to get it golden brown.
5. Bake for 10 minutes uncovered. Cover with foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the bottom of the baniza is golden brown. (If unsure, carefully lift one side with a spatula to check).
6. Cut into wedges, serve family style (aka: still in the pan!) and enjoy!

Some variations:

• Use cinnamon, a little sugar, butter and cream cheese or mascarpone for a dessert version.
• Add berries, bananas, apples or pears (but don't use too many).
• Keep it savoury but use a different kind of cheese, add herbs or add some kick with a few chopped up chiles.

Thank you Slavy for sharing this wonderful recipe with us!!!

Stuffed Mushrooms

Mmmmmushroooms! This is one of my favourite recipes. It's quick and easy to put together, can be prepared ahead of time and it incorporates many of my favourite ingredients (herbs and wine!!). Plus, everyone loves them. These took me a few tries to get right so I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Sarah’s Stuffed Mushrooms
Makes 20

· 1 small onion (yellow, white or sweet), diced
· ½ cup bread crumbs
· ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Asiago cheese
· 100g pancetta, chopped (you can often find this at deli counters, if not use bacon)
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
· 1 tbsp lemon juice (½ to 1 lemon)
· ½ tsp pepper
· 20 large button mushrooms
· 3 tbsp white wine (a Viognier or Sauvignon Blanc is nice)
· 1 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chooped
· 1 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 425º.

Clean mushrooms by wiping with a damp paper towel. Gently break out entire stem. Reserve ¼ of the stems, trim off the woody ends and dice. Place mushroom caps gills up on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. Briefly sauté the pancetta and onions, for about 3 minutes. Add garlic, sauté another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients, including reserved diced mushroom stems.

Once well combined stuff each mushroom so they are heaping.

Bake for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

When it comes time to stuff I generally just use my hands - the ingredients really stick together so you can just mold a little clump of the filling and put it in the mushroom.

I always use Yalumba's Y series Viognier from South Australia for this dish. It's perfect. Enjoy a few stuffed mushrooms with a chilled glass of this great wine and you will have a match made in Heaven. For more information on this wine check it out here, http://www.yalumba.com/vintage.asp?p=154&l=63&v=1965

Enjoy!!