March is nearly gone and the Husband and I have barely made any new recipes! After such great progress in January and February it's rather disappointing, but that's the nature of a busy month and lots of leftovers.
Overall, this was just eh. It lacked flavor in a big way. I had thought between the ginger, oyster sauce and the five spice powder it would have a bit more zing, but instead I was left wanting.
Whole wheat flour, AP flour, chopped dried dates, chopped dried pineapple, walnuts, banana, wheat germ, wheat bran and brown sugar make up the muffin proper. Ground flaxseed is supposed to be sprinkled over the top but I didn’t have any on hand, so I subbed shredded coconut. As Rachel Ray would say, Yum-O! I did leave the coconut off about half the batch because the Husband does not do coconut. These were delicious right out of the oven, and even better the next day when the dates and pineapple flavors had a chance to develop. For a "healthy" muffin, these were anything but dense and heavy. I would make these again.
Broccoli Soup (Every Day with RR, Jan/Feb, pg 101) 2.5
Sadly, another "eh" recipe for the week. Onion is softened to which water (I used chicken stock) and broccoli is added and brought to a boil to soften the broccoli. Part of the batch is pureed and added back to the pot (unless you have an immersion blender -vroom! vroom!). Then half and half and Swiss cheese is added and mixed.
Kung Pao Tofu (EW Apr 08, pg 34) 3.0
I had a package of tofu in the fridge which I had intended to use in miso soup when this recipe caught my eye. Tofu is seasoned with 5-spice powder then sauteed until nicely browned. This...is something I have yet to master. My tofu does not "nicely" brown. It sticks to the bottom of the pan and eventually turns into crumbles that once resembled squares. The now crumbles are removed and (once I clean out the pan) I sauteed red and yellow peppers with grated ginger and garlic. A slurry of oyster sauce, cornstarch and lemon juice is added to the pan and brought to a boil to thicken and the tofu added back in. This was all served over brown rice.
I had a package of tofu in the fridge which I had intended to use in miso soup when this recipe caught my eye. Tofu is seasoned with 5-spice powder then sauteed until nicely browned. This...is something I have yet to master. My tofu does not "nicely" brown. It sticks to the bottom of the pan and eventually turns into crumbles that once resembled squares. The now crumbles are removed and (once I clean out the pan) I sauteed red and yellow peppers with grated ginger and garlic. A slurry of oyster sauce, cornstarch and lemon juice is added to the pan and brought to a boil to thicken and the tofu added back in. This was all served over brown rice.
Overall, this was just eh. It lacked flavor in a big way. I had thought between the ginger, oyster sauce and the five spice powder it would have a bit more zing, but instead I was left wanting.
Morning Glory Muffins (Ckng Lght Annual 2008, pg 185) 4.0
I overlooked these the first time they came around, but in a following issue a reader wrote in how much she loved these as part of her breakfast routine. Now I like something a bit heartier for breakfast and thought these would make a good mid-morning munchie.
I overlooked these the first time they came around, but in a following issue a reader wrote in how much she loved these as part of her breakfast routine. Now I like something a bit heartier for breakfast and thought these would make a good mid-morning munchie.
Whole wheat flour, AP flour, chopped dried dates, chopped dried pineapple, walnuts, banana, wheat germ, wheat bran and brown sugar make up the muffin proper. Ground flaxseed is supposed to be sprinkled over the top but I didn’t have any on hand, so I subbed shredded coconut. As Rachel Ray would say, Yum-O! I did leave the coconut off about half the batch because the Husband does not do coconut. These were delicious right out of the oven, and even better the next day when the dates and pineapple flavors had a chance to develop. For a "healthy" muffin, these were anything but dense and heavy. I would make these again.
Broccoli Soup (Every Day with RR, Jan/Feb, pg 101) 2.5
Sadly, another "eh" recipe for the week. Onion is softened to which water (I used chicken stock) and broccoli is added and brought to a boil to soften the broccoli. Part of the batch is pureed and added back to the pot (unless you have an immersion blender -vroom! vroom!). Then half and half and Swiss cheese is added and mixed.
What I thought was going to be a thicker broccoli soup ended up being a soup-y broccoli soup with a funky texture. The cheese didn’t melt smoothly and made the whole thing rather granular and I’m not sure why. I thought Swiss cheese would make for a somewhat tangy soup, I was sadly disappointed. I should have used some cheddar as well. We’ll eat it, but I won’t be making this one again.
3 comments:
The morning glory muffins look delicious.
I've had soup that has turned out to have a much different texture than I anticipated. It's always such a disappointment after you smell such good fragrance while cooking.
Hi Kristin! I have a suggestion for making nice, crispy tofu. This is how I do it and it works like a charm every time.
Cut up tofu into the size chunks you want. Pat dry with paper or kitchen towels. I put a bunch of oil in a wok. Probably about 1/4 cup or a little more. I usually blend a little sesame oil with canola. Let it get nice and hot. Put tofu into wok. There will be some sputtering. Make sure it is distributed evenly on the bottom of the wok. Cover, and let cook for longer than you think you'll need to. Do not stir. Check every minute or so. When you can see from the side that the bottoms are nice and crispy, then you can stir to turn them over, and cover again until crispy on the new side. Stir a few times again, but you don't have to wait as long. When done scoop out tofu onto a paper towel lined plate to absorb extra oil. Sometimes I'll add sesame seeds and tamari after the first side of tofu is done, after I turn over the chunks the first time.
That's how I get nice, crispy, formed tofu every time.
Dee, the muffins are really good!
Lisa, thanks for the tip. I have not tried the cover and cook method but I will next time.
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