Monthly Archives: May 2014

Jamaican Jerk Tofu with Blackberry Jalapeño Chutney and a Giveaway

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jamaican jerk tofu and blackberry jalapeno chutney
Your whole house will smell heavenly when you make this Jamaican Jerk tofu. And the flavor of the Jerk spices will transport you to an exotic land. Allspice, cinnamon, thyme, onion and garlic all come together to make a tasty, yet easy marinade for the tofu.

I have an exciting new giveaway today. Naturipe Farms is giving away a KitchenAid food processor to one lucky Veggie Belly winner! Scroll to the bottom of this post to enter!

But wait, theres more! You can also win a $500 Williams Sonoma gift card on Naturipe’s site. Head over there and check out their grand prize giveaway!

jamaican jerk spice marinade
pan frying jerk tofu
This simple blackberry jalapeño chutney goes really well with the jerk spiced tofu. You can also use it as a condiment or as a sandwich spread.
blackberry jalapeno chutney
blackberry jalapeno chutney
Tips
- The onion flakes in the marinade tend to burn. So keep an eye on it. If it starts to burn, sprinkle a little water into the pan. Or use a spoon and remove the bits of the marinade that are browned (but not yet burned). Add the browned onion bits back to the tofu before serving.
-Pressed tofu makes it easier for the marinade to soak in. Pressing tofu is pretty straight forward – you wrap a block of tofu in a kitchen towel and put a weight on it, so that all the water is released. See this post on how to press tofu. If you don’t have time to press tofu, buy extra firm tofu, and gently pat the tofu with a kitchen towel to absorb the liquid. Then proceed with this recipe.
- Substitute allspice with ground cloves.
- The blackberry chutney is very customizable. Adjust the jalapeño, sugar and lime according to your taste.
- Most the heat in jalapeños lies in the seeds and white membrane. If you like it hot, keep the seeds. If you want it mild, remove the seeds and membrane.
jamaican jerk tofu and blackberry jalapeno chutney

Jamaican Jerk Tofu with Blackberry Jalapeño Chutney Recipe

 Serves 2-3

Ingredients
One 15 oz block of firm tofu (drained weight), pressed.
For the Marinade
1 tablespoon onion flakes or onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice. Substitute with 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice, optional
3 tablespoons olive oil

For the chutney
6 oz blackberries
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño*
2 cloves of garlic, optional
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon all spice
Juice of one lime
zest of 1/2 lime
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar

*This will make a medium-hot chutney. Use more or less jalapeños according to taste.

Method

1. Slice the block of tofu diagonally in half, so you have 2 triangles. Cut each tofu triangle lengthwise into 4 triangles, so that you have 8 tofu triangles in total.
2. Place all marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk well.
3. Place the tofu in single layer on a plate, container or baking sheet. Pour the marinade on top and spread it evenly to coat the tofu. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days, or cook the tofu immediately.
4. Heat a large non stick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the tofu slices on the skillet, without over lapping. Scrape the marinade and drizzle all over the tofu. Cook till both sides of the tofu are golden brown, flipping over once.
5. To make the chutney, place all ingredients, except sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer the chutney for about 8 minutes, or till it thickens. Stir in the sugar, mix well, and turn off heat. Chutney will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

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Win a KitchenAid 7 cup Food Processor!

Naturipe Farms is giving away an awesome food processor to one lucky Veggie Belly reader! The KitchenAid® 7-Cup Food Processor is powerful and durable. This model has a 7-cup work bowl with 2-in-1 Feed Tube and pusher for continuous processing. The 7-cup capacity is ideal for many home cooking needs, allowing you to chop, mix, slice and shred with ease, offering multiple tools in one appliance. A $100 value!

Enter below for a chance to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Vietnamese Potato and Green Bean Curry

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vietnamese potato green bean curry There is a little Vietnamese place near where I live called Lela’s Bistro. It is the coziest little space with the most amazing food. (But then I live in Portland, and there is cozy and tasty all around me!) Anyways, Lela’s bistro is special. I love their wood paneled interior, and their delicious vegetarian vietnamese curry. I often go to Lela’s, pick a cozy nook, and tuck into a big, steaming bowl of their aromatic curry. I’ve tried to recreate this Vietnamese vegetarian curry at home, using Vietnamese curry powder, potatoes and green beans. Feel free to change the vegetables and use broccoli, zucchini, sweet potato etc. Some fried tofu will also be very nice in this curry.
vietnamese potato green bean curry

lemon grass, vietnamese curry powder, potato, green beans for curryThis curry is very easy to make. The curry powder and the lemongrass do the work for you, really. They make the curry wonderfully aromatic and tasty. A lot of Vietnamese curries have finely minced lemongrass in them. Sometimes lemongrass can be fibrous, so I prefer to leave it whole in the curry, and then fish it out before serving. Just make sure you give the lemongrass stalk a good smash, to break it open and release all its flavors.
vietnamese curry powder Vietnamese curry powder is easily available at Asian markets. Fubonn, the Asian store I frequent, has several brands of Vietnamese curry powder, and I’m spoiled for choice! Pick a Vietnamese “Madras” curry powder (Ca Ri Ni An Do) and you can’t go wrong.

You can also order Vietnamese curry powder online.
vietnamese potato green bean curry

Vietnamese Potato and Green Bean Curry

Serves about 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons oil
1 small onion, diced
1 lemon grass stalk
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon Vietnamese curry powder (Ca Ri Ni An Do or Madras Curry Powder). Available at Asian markets or online.
12 oz yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
5 oz green beans (about 1 heaping cup when chopped). Substitute with 1 heaping cup of broccoli florets
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon sugar, optional
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish

Method
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and cook on medium heat till slightly browned. While the onion is cooking, prepare the lemongrass – slice off the top and bottom of the lemongrass stalk, cut it into 2 pieces, and using a mallet, smash the two lemongrass sticks in order to release flavor. Set aside.
2. When the onion is golden brown, add the garlic and stir for about 1 minute.
3. Add the smashed lemongrass and curry powder and stir for 30 seconds.
4. Throw in the chopped potatoes, salt, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer covered till the potatoes are cooked but still holding their shape.
5. Now add the beans or broccoli, coconut milk and sugar. Cook on medium heat till the beans/broccoli are tender. If the curry is too thick, add up to 1 cup water.
7. Fish out and discard the lemongrass pieces before serving.
6. Garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with rice, noodles or baguette.

8 Ingredient Tofu Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

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tofu mushroom lettuce wrapI can’t believe I haven’t blogged a vegetarian lettuce wrap recipe up until now! Its one of my go to quick and easy dishes. And now that the weather is getting warmer, I crave these light, crisp lettuce “boats” filled with a zesty tofu mushroom filling. And did I mention this is just an 8 ingredient recipe? Thats right, only 8 ingredients (not counting the oil, because everyone already has oil, right?)! And you probably already have all the ingredients for these lettuce wraps in your pantry!
ingredients for vegetarian lettuce wrapcubed tofusoy sauce suteed tofu for lettuce wrap

The dipping sauce for this recipe is simple. If you want it spicier add some sriracha or wasabi. For a creamier dipping sauce add a spoon or two of peanut butter to the recipe below.

You can easily make the tofu mushroom filling ahead of time and re-heat it when you are ready to eat. Cut the tofu and the mushrooms the same size so it looks pretty!

sauteed tofu and mushrooms for lettuce wrapTips
- Make sure you get the freshest romaine lettuce hearts you can find. (A romaine heart is the entire lettuce, with the leaves attached to the core). Keep in mind, the inner leaves are usually more fresh and crisp compared to the outer ones. If your romaine heart is looking a little limp on the outside, peel away the outer leaves and chances are, you will find the inner leaves are still fresh.
- I like using dried, rehydrated shiitake mushrooms for this recipe. If you don’t have dried shiitakes, use button mushrooms instead. But they will tend to release liquid while cooking. If button mushrooms release liquid while cooking, increase heat to high and let the liquid evaporate.
- If you are using shiitakes, you can soak and squeeze them ahead of time and store the rehydrated mushrooms in the fridge.
- I like thin, light dipping sauces for lettuce wraps. But if you like yours thicker or richer, add 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter to my dipping sauce recipe below.

8 Ingredient Tofu Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

serves 3-4 as an appetizer
Ingredients
8 dried Shiitake mushrooms. Substitute with 12 button mushrooms
1 lb drained extra firm tofu
3 tablespoons oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 tablespoons Soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon Sugar
1/2 tablespoon lime juice or vinegar
1/2 tablespoon Sriracha, or according to taste
zest of half a lime, optional
12 crisp Romaine leaves

For the dipping sauce
4 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon lime juice or vinegar
2 tablespoon water
1 1/2 tablespoon sugar

Method
1. Drain the tofu and pat it dry. Cut the tofu length wise into 4. Then carefully turn the block over on its side and cut into 4 again. You will now have 16 strips. Cut the strips into 1/4th inch cubes.

2. If using dried mushrooms, rehydrate them according to package directions. When the mushrooms are soft, drain them (save the liquid for soups!), squeeze the excess liquid, and chop them about the same size as the tofu cubes. If using button mushrooms, chop them the same size as the tofu cubes.

3. In a cup, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, sriracha and lime juice or vinegar. Set aside.

3. Heat oil in a large wok or large skillet. Throw in the tofu cubes. Try to keep them in a single layer. If all the tofu doesn’t fit in a single layer, cook them in batches. If the tofu cubes are too crowded they will stew instead of browning.

4. Cook the tofu undisturbed on medium-high heat till the bottom side is golden brown. Carefully flip the tofu cubes over using a spatula, and cook undisturbed till the other side is golden brown.

5. When all the tofu is browned, add the onion and mushrooms to the skillet. Saute on high heat till the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. If you are using button mushrooms and they let out liquid, just keep cooking on high heat till all the liquid evaporates.

6. Pour in the soy sauce mixture. Cook till all the liquid has been absorbed, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle lime zest, if using, on top.

8. To make the dipping sauce, whisk all ingredients together till the sugar dissolves.

9. To serve, cut each romaine leaf into half. Place one half on top of the other to form a cup. Repeat with all lettuce leaves. Serve the tofu mushroom saute in a bowl, along with the dipping sauce.

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