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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.


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 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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We had fabulous weather over the weekend. It was almost like summer! So I decided to do a summery frozen yogurt and pair it with one of my favorite fruits – lychees (or litchis). I made the frozen yogurt with blackberries and piped it into the lychees. So you could also call this lychees stuffed with frozen yogurt.
 
Blackberry Frozen Yogurt with Lychees
makes about 2 servings. you will have left over frozen yogurt.

2 cups plain yogurt, I used low fat.
1 ½ cups blackberries either fresh or thawed from frozen
½ cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice, optional
a 20 oz can of lychees in syrup

Drain the lychees and gently pat them dry. Place the drained lychees in the fridge till you are ready to use them.

Place a sieve or strainer over a vessel. Place a double layer of cheese cloth over the strainer. Put the yogurt in the cheese cloth. Gather and tie the ends of the cheese cloth to form a bundle. Put the yogurt bundle with the strainer and vessel in the fridge. We want most the liquid from the yogurt to drain. This will take about 2 hours.

In the meanwhile, puree the blackberries, sugar and lemon juice in a blender. Push the blackberry mixture through a sieve or strainer. Discard the seeds in the strainer.

When the yogurt has drained, return it to the blender along with the strained blackberry mixture. Blend till everything is combined well. Taste the mixture and adjust sugar if needed.

If you have an ice cream maker, process the yogurt blackberry mixture according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

For creamy frozen yogurt without an ice cream maker:
If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can still make creamy frozen yogurt. Pour the blackberry yogurt mixture into a shallow dish, cover the dish, and place in the freezer. Freeze for about 2 hours until the yogurt is half frozen.

Now Scrape the yogurt and put it back in the blender. Blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the dish, cover, and freeze again. Let the yogurt freeze another 2 hours. Scrape up the yogurt and blend again. Repeat the freeze-blend-freeze process 3 times. This will result in creamy frozen yogurt without an ice cream maker!

To serve, fill a serving dish with ice cubes. Remove the drained lychees from the fridge. Arrange the lychees, hole-side up, over the ice. Place the frozen yogurt in a zip lock bag, and snip the end of the bag. Pipe the yogurt into the lychees. Serve immediately.

Notes
If your lychees aren’t firm enough to stand up straight or hold the frozen yogurt, freeze the lychees for about 30 minutes. This will make them firm enough to hold their shape and easier for you to pipe in the yogurt.

If you decide to place the lychees on a bed of ice, make sure you serve the dish immediately. Otherwise the ice will melt and your lychees will drown.

An easier method – simply chop up the lychees and top the frozen yogurt with the chopped lychees.