Saturday, May 19, 2012

Edamae Tofu Dip

I pulled this recipe from "Skinny Dips" cookbook, which was a gift from my mom.  The first recipe I looked at, was the first recipe I made, and it was a hit.

1 cup frozen (shelled) edamame


1 cup tofu, I happenned to have this half package of extra firm open in my fridge. 


Here are the rest of the ingredients needed.   This was a last minute whip up, I love it when I make something with stuff I already have on hand.  

In the recipe description she says, "I almost always have a bag of frozen shelled edamame in my freezer."  This is true in my freezer, as well.



Boil the water, add the edamame, bring to boil again for 3 minutes.



Rinse immediately so they don't overcook.


 


Add ingredients to your food processor.   Edamame, drained tofu,


sesame oil, lemon, salt, pepper, garlic


A little close up..





Start to chop away..



Add parsley in at the end, I had the frozen cubes from Trader Joe's, I put 3 in and pulsed a couple more times.

 




I packaged one up for work and one for home.  I like to share with a couple coworkers and get their opinions, I have a few foodie buddies at work whom I share recipes and tips with.
 



Edamame Tofu Dip

Ingredients: 1 cup Silken Tofu
2 cups frozen shelled edamame
2 tsp kosher or sea salt
3 tbs fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp Asian sesame oil
1 tsp finely minced garlice
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup minced cilantro/fresh coriander leaves, plus sprigs for garnish.

Skinny Dippers: Baked Pita Chips, Crudites, Crostini 


Drain the tofu and blot completely dry with paper towels.  Set the tofu on several thickness of paper while you cook the edamame.

Fill a medium saucean two-thirds full of water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Add the edamame and 1/2 tsp of the salt and boil for 3 minutes.  Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water.  Drain again and blot to remove excess moisture.

In the workbowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the tofu, edamame, the remaining 11/2 tsp salt, the lemon juice, sesame oil, garlic, sugar, and pepper until very smooth.  Scatter the minced cilantro/fresh coriander leavers over the top and pulse to incorparote.  Taste and adjust he seasinonig.  Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld.  Garnish with cilantro/fresh coriander.

Recipe from "Skinny Dips" by Diane Morgan  



Have a great rest of your weekend and eat well and play well~
Happy Food Revolution Day!













Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Guest Speaker - Romantic Dinner For Two

I am happy to present a guest speaker today, my M.I.L.A.C. (Mother-In-Law, Amazing Cook) 

 We are constantly sharing recipes and she has taught, both my husband and I, a great deal when it comes to cooking.  She has shown us many tips on how to create dishes ranging from exquisite & fancy to simple & elegant.  

She has put together a great piece and I know you will enjoy it.  

Enjoy~



ROMANTIC DINNER FOR TWO


My D.I.L.E. (Daughter-in-Law Extraordinaire) has asked me to be a guest on her blog. You can Eat Well and Play Well with this menu!

My contribution is a Romantic Dinner for Two. It meets three prerequisites:
1. Nutritious 2. Simple 3. Beautiful.

Here is the menu: Frosted Roasted Salmon, Rice Pilaf with Sherried Mushrooms, Steamed Broccoli, and Sliced Tomato. The whole thing takes about 30 minutes or less. And it is Nutritious, Simple and Beautiful!

1. Frosted Roasted Salmon

  • Simply take two thick salmon fillets and place them on a pan sprayed with olive oil.

   
  • Frost them with a mixture of ½ cup of crème fresh or Daisy Low Fat Sour Cream mixed with 2 teaspoons of Maille Whole Grain Mustard, 1 tablespoon of Maille Dijon Mustard, and 3/4 teaspoon of Reeses Green Peppercorns. 

  

  

  • Frost them like a cake so that all sides are covered and sealed.

  • Bake in a 425-degree oven for about 15 minutes.
2. Rice Pilaf with Sherried Mushrooms

  • Take one can of mushrooms that have been drained and rinsed and pour about 1/3 cup of sherry over them. Place them in the microwave and cook them (covered) for about 3-5 minutes. A slight glaze will form.


  • Toss the mushrooms with about three cups of steamed white rice.     

 
 3. Steamed Broccoli

  • Rinse and separate a head of broccoli and place in microwavable bowl. Microwave for about 3 -5 minutes just until tender.


4. Tomatoes

  • Slice one or two Roma tomatoes into ¼ inch slices.

Assemble and eat.


NOTES:

I place the salmon on a small bed of spring greens for color, texture, and beauty!

This is fast. I usually have precooked rice in my freezer, ready to be warmed in the microwave. Trader Joe’s also has great frozen rices, which can be heated in
minutes.

Crème Fresh is easy to make. Just take two cups of heavy cream and mix with one cup of sour cream (I use Daisy Low Fat Sour Cream). Mix well and put in a glass jar. Place on your kitchen counter and place a lid very loosely over the top. Let sit for 24 hours. Stir and refrigerate until ready to use. It will last a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. Delicious.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Roasted Red Peppers

I enjoy taking something simple and transforming it into something tasty and a little bit elegant.


Here we have 2 red peppers that had done their time in the refrigerator and were ready for an outing.

I popped them in the oven at a high temp for about 30 minutes until soft and charred.  



Pop them into plastic baggies for about 15 minutes.  I was working on a couple other food projects so I had plenty to do to keep me busy, but I understand sometimes it might be hard to let the time pass without getting your fingers on them.    This process makes for an easier peel.


Once you have waited, go ahead and peel them and discard the skins. 
Here I started to chop up the red pepper into smaller chunks.
Ok, I have to confess.  I am looking at this picture thinking... now what exactly did I put in here?  

I am pretty sure that it is all just the roasted red peppers, some chunky and some sliced smaller.

 
Olive Oil  (Ok, I may have over olive oiled, whoops)

Added Minced Garlic, Salt and Pepper and it is ready! 
Something so simple, turns into a tasty treat.


I toasted up my favorite toasting bread.
Trader Joe's bread loaf, I think it it Parmesan crusted on the top, and it is in the fresh bread section.

And you can see our couch in the back of this picture, because I served this as an appetizer on a lazy Sunday afternoon while we were relaxing and watching a movie.

Have a great Friday

We are headed out tomorrow morning, at the crack of dawn, to catch a plain to Oklahoma City.  We will be visiting Stillwater, OK and attending my lil brother's college graduation.

Have a great weekend and Eat Well and Play Well~