panang tofu curry

a couple of days ago we were trying to decide what to make for dinner. i don't know what put the idea in his head but kris said "we should make a curry!" i was flipping through the latest bon appetit and - ta da! - panang tofu curry greeted me on page 82. it was meant to be. it was an easy recipe to make, a just-some-chopping-throw-it-in-a-pot-let-it-do-it's-thing kind of recipe. we made a few little tweaks that i've noted below.





panang tofu curry
(from bon appetit, february 2009)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons finely grated peeled ginger
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup organic peanut butter
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot chili paste*
1 cup water
1 can light coconut milk (14-ish ounces)
3 kaffir lime leaves or 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime peel (we went the lime juice/peel route)
1 tablespoon (firmly packed) golden brown sugar
2 14-ounce packages firm tofu, drained, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups thick carrot slices**
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. add shallots, ginger and garlic; cook until shallots are tender (about 6 minutes).

add peanut butter, turmeric, cumin and chili paste, stir until fragrant (1 to 2 minutes).

whisk in 1 cup water then coconut milk, lime leaves/juice/peel, and brown sugar and bring to simmer. season with salt.

add tofu, carrots/eggplant and bell pepper; simmer over medium heat until carrots/eggplant are tender, adjusting heat to medium-low if beginning to boil and occasionally stirring gently, about 20 minutes. season to taste with salt.

the magazine photo has this served over rice but we had already had a very rice-y week and decided to plop in on top of a bed of steamed kale instead. it was a yummy, slightly lighter, way to enjoy.

*we didn't, or thought we didn't, have any chili paste and didn't see any at the grocery store so we just used red curry paste and added a pinch cayenne for heat. a couple days later while searching for something in the fridge we found a big ol' tub of chili paste that our neighbors gave us when they moved. perhaps we should organize the fridge more often. perhaps i shouldn't mess it up when kris does organize it so nicely.
**i am not a fan of cooked carrots and used one chinese eggplant instead. sliced. delicious.

-d

christmas squash

happy new year! kris and i did a lot of traveling over the holidays and i have gotten very behind in posting. however, i did take pictures of food along the way and now that they are off of my camera and on the computer i have no excuse...it's catch up time! and in order to stretch out the holiday spirit just a wee bit longer i'll start with the most recent recipe i have which happens to be our christmas recipe (and maybe just maybe it's still fresh enough in my mind so i can actually remember what went into it*).

for christmas we traveled to louisville to spend the holiday at kris's dad's house. he always makes a big christmas dinner so kris and i put ourselves in charge of making ourselves a delicious vegetarian entree (among other things like real mashed potatoes and easy bread). we winged it with a wild rice stuffed squash that turned out to be quite delicious!

Ingredients
1 acorn squash
1 large onion
1 fennel bulb
1 cup wild rice (maybe less, we had a lot leftover. but i'm sure you could find a use for it)
spices/herbs (*nope, guess i don't remember. i know i know....)
olive oil
salt and pepper (to taste)

heat oven to 350 and start cooking rice according to the package instructions.

cut the squash in half lenthwise and scoop out the seeds and stringy bits. drizzle with a little olive oil and place face down on a baking sheet.

cut the onion and fennel bulb into large chunks. toss with olive oil to coat and sprinkle with a couple pinches salt and pepper. place on a baking sheet (if you have room, you can just stick it on the same one with the squash).

roast squash, fennel and onion until squash is soft, about 30 minutes (our squash actually came with a sticker with cooking instructions....i think it said 30 minutes). at this point the onion and fennel bulb should be done too.

once the onion and fennel have cooled off a bit cut them into smaller pieces and mix in with the finished rice. add spices to taste. since we were not in our stocked kitchen our options were limited. i recall throwing in a bit of dried rosemary but i really don't remember what else. i think some sage would have been yummy. or maybe you want to toss in a few red pepper flakes for a little kick. anyway, season to your liking.

fill the squash with the rice filling. before serving heat up in the oven again. garnish with some chopped up fennel fronds and dig in!

kris's dad has a fabulous, big kitchen and it was such a treat to cook in it instead of our teeny tiny one. but the best part? the garbage disposal! later fennel fronds!




-d