These are a great entree for the hot weather. It is delicious at room temperature and can hold well if you want to make ahead. They are very flexible too, if you want to add other veggies or use another protein source (cooked chicken, shrimp, etc). I was lucky enough to get some fresh, homegrown Thai Basil from my mother this weekend!

Summer Rolls (to make 8)

For Sauce:

1/2 onion, finely minced

1 large clove garlic, minced

sirracha, to taste (I only add about 8 drops as my little ones are heat sensitive!)

1 tsp vegetable oil

6 Tbs water

2 Tbs creamy peanut butter

1 Tbs Hoisin sauce

2 tsp tomato paste

1 Tbs soy sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

For Rolls:

2 oz bean thread noodles (vermicelli)

1 Tbs rice vinegar

12oz extra-firm silken tofu

Potato starch

1/4 cup peanut oil

8 rice paper rounds

bibb or iceberg lettuce (ribs cut out)

approx. 1/4 cup  chopped cilantro

approx 1/4 cup Thai basil, cut in strips

shredded carrot

Cook onion and garlic in vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium high heat until golden. Whisk in remaining ingredients and cook 1 minutes. remove from heat.

Cover noodles with boiling hot water and let soak 15 minutes. Drain well and pat dry between paper towels, then toss with vinegar in a bowl.

Slice tofu into 8 planks and dredge with potato starch and a sprinkle of salt. Fry until golden in the peanut oil over medium high heat. Remove from pan onto a plate with paper towels.

Place a dampened paper towel on your work surface and have everything ready to fill the rice papers. Soak the rice paper in water for about 1 minute or until pliable. Be careful when you pick it up not to rip it.

Place the wrapper on the paper towel and put a piece of lettuce on the bottom third. Spread with some of the peanut sauce. Add a plank of tofu, basil and cilantro and some of the noodles. Fold the wrapper up and over the filling. Fold in the sides then put some carrot along the crease and fold the rest of the way (see the pictures in my previous post). Transfer finished roll to a plate covered in paper towels. Be careful that they do not touch each other or they will stick together.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve with peanut sauce for dipping.

I bought a beautiful and very large head of broccoli at the farmers market on Tuesday. I used part of it to make a delicious Tofu Stir Fry (I fried tofu in peanut oil, then scrambled three eggs, then steamed the broccoli, then added ginger, garlic and scallions along with Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian Stir Fry Sauce and voila, dinner!). Then tonight I used the rest (including all the stems) to make a great Broccoli and Cheddar soup.

For the soup I took the broccoli, one onion, three cloves of garlic and 6 cups of broth and brought it to a boil. Added salt and pepper and simmered till soft and then pureed with the immersion blender. Before serving I added about 1/3 cup milk and 1 cup of grated cheddar.

Served the soup with potato skins (with veggie bacon and cheddar) and sugar snap peas.

This was a lovely surprise for me when I returned from a long day at a craft show!

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Elizabeth was at the Milford craft fair yesterday.  The rest of us were “enjoying” the rain.  After a morning of home repair, it was time to think about dinner.  Normally I would make nachos and miso soup, a delectable combination.  But with the rain we had the time for something more adventurous.  The silver lining is that now the bathroom sink runs freely, the kitchen cabinet door is back on, the piano bench is repaired, the hall light fixture is ½ fixed, and I finally got the picture printed that Elizabeth asked for about 2 months ago.

Pad Thai

This recipe is based on that posted by the MY-Thai Oriental Grocery.

 Sauce – Prepare first so that it can sit in the fridge for an hour.

 ½ cup Palm Sugar

¼ cup tamarind concentrate

¼ cup fish sauce

½ cup water

½ teaspoon salt

Mix the above in a saucepan, heat covered on low for 45 minutes.  Uncover and turn off the heat while you go back to the grocery for overlooked ingredients.  Heat on medium uncovered for about 15 minutes until viscosity is noticeably increased, but thinner than maple syrup.  Put in the fridge. 

Pad Thai Ingredients

 200 g of thin Thai Rice Noodles, soaked in water for at least 1 hour, then drain in a colander

2 tbsp sliced green onion stalk

2 tbsp sliced green onion

2 eggs - our kids asked for extra egg

Slices of bean curd – I used 5 oz of inarizushi-no-moto (seasoned fried bean curd) from a Japanese grocery. 

2 tbsp chopped garlic

2 cups bean sprouts  (I went to 5 stores before I found bean sprouts.  Unreal.  How can an Asian grocery call itself Asian and not have bean sprouts?) 

3 tbsp smashed-by-a-4-year-old peanuts.  If you don’t have a 4 year old and a mortar and pestle, crush peanuts will suffice. 

3 tbsp canola oil

lime, used as a toy for about 20 minutes, then washed and sliced.

Heat a big skillet on medium heat

Saute the garlic in the oil for about 2 minutes till it is golden

Add the eggs, sauté

Add the rice noodles and the sauce.  Stir until the noodles absorb the sauce.

Add the green onion, bean sprouts, bean curd, and some of the crushed peanuts.  stir, stir, stir. 

Serve garnished with bean sprouts, bean curd, crushed peanuts and lime.

 I served this with raw string beans on the side. 

My dish only remotely resembled this:

This was a hit! And pretty simple too.My 4 year old prefered ketchup to the hoisin sauce but everyone ate well!

Crispy Tofu with Sesame Asparagus and Hoisin Dipping Sauce

(from Fine Cooking #117)

1 14oz package of firm tofu, drained

1/2 cup + 3 Tbs hoisin sauce

4 Tbs seasoned rice vinegar

Asian chili sauce to taste (I used a tiny squirt, recipe called for 3/4 tsp)

2 large eggs

4 tsp sesame oil

kosher salt

2 cups panko

1/2 cup cornstarch

peanut oil

1 lb asparagus, trimmed

2 tsp sesame seeds

Slice tofu in half crosswise, then once on the diagonal and cut each triangle into three or four slices. Place on paper towels and press to remove moisture.

In a small bowl whisk 1/2 cup hoisin with 3 Tbs of vinegar. Set aside.

In a shallow dish beat eggs with remaining hoisin, 1 Tbs vinegar, 2 tsp sesame oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Put panko and cornstarch in separate shallow bowls (I used a plate). Dredge the tofu in the cornstarch, then in egg mixture and then in the panko. Place on a plate.

Heat about 1/4 cup of peanut oil in a pan. When hot add the tofu and cook until golden and crisp on both sides. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and season with salt.

Wipe out skillet and add 1 Tbs oil. When hot add asparagus and cook until crisp-tender. Add 2 tsp sesame oil and seeds ans season with salt and pepper. Toss. Serve with tofu with dipping sauce in side.

This is a riff on a recipe from Madhur Jaffery’s World Vegetarian cookbook. I love to serve it with green beans and rice.

Tofu with Tomatoes and Peas

1 block firm tofu, drained and pressed

vegetable or peanut oil

1 Tbs mined garlic

one inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced

6 scallions, sliced

1 14oz can petite diced tomatoes (drain off extra juice)

2 Tbs soy sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1 cup frozen peas, defrosted

(optional) hot chili sauce (1/4 tsp to 1 tsp by taste)

After pressing the tofu, cut into small cubes. Heat about 3-4 Tbs oil in a large pan and fry the tofu until crisp and golden. Remove from pan. Into remaining oil, add garlic, ginger and scallion. Stir until fragrant then add tomatoes, soy sauce, salt and sugar. Stir well then add peas and tofu along with optional hot chili sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Serve with rice! Yum.

This is a yummy but easy recipe to whip up on a busy weeknight. Adjust the spicy-ness to your own taste. You can also vary the veggies however you like. Broiling the tofu gives it great texture and so much less fat than frying!

Peanut Noodles

1 block of extra firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3/4 lb thin spaghetti or fresh chinese noodles (I used Nasoya brand fresh noodles, 2 9ox pkgs)

4 Tbs soy sauce

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 Tbs olive oil

broccoli

napa cabbage

1/3 cup peanut butter

2 Tbs maple syrup

2 Tbs rice vinegar

1 Tbs water

1 Tbs sesame seeds

1 clove garlic, pressed

1/8-1/2 tsp chili paste

2 scallions, thinly sliced

In a small bowl mix together 3 Tbs soy sauce, peanut butter, maple syrup, vinegar, water, sesame seeds, garlic, and chili paste. Stir until smooth.

Preheat broiler. In a bowl, mix 1 Tbs soy sauce with ground ginger. Add tofu and toss gently to coat. Spray a pan with pan spray and spread out the tofu. Broil for 5 minutes, stir/flip and broil for an additional 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil and saute the vegetables (I used broccoli and napa cabbage, use whatever your family likes).

Heat a pot of water to boiling and cook noodles/spaghetti. Drain noodles and return to pot with peanut sauce. Toss to coat. Fill bowls with noodles and top with cooked veggies and tofu. Sprinkle with scallions.

 This is a traditional Japanese street dish, it is like a loose omelet over rice. My kids love the slightly sweet flavor and it is quick and easy to make. This recipe is from Madhur Jaffery’s World Vegetarian.

Tofu Donburi

8-12 ounces firm tofu, cut into ¾ inch cubes

Peanut or canola oil for frying

2 cups vegetable stock (I like using a cube of mushroom bullion)

¼ cup soy sauce

2 Tbs sake

3 Tbs sugar

6 eggs, lightly beaten

2 scallions, thinly sliced

½ cup frozen peas, defrosted

2 cups of Japanese short grain rice, cooked

1.     Put 1/8 inch of oil in a frying pan and set over med-high heat. When hot put in the tofu. Stir and fry until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

2.     Empty the frying pan and wipe out well. Combine stock, soy sauce, sake and sugar in the pan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for a minute. Add the tofu and cook for 5 minutes. Add the peas and scallions, then pour in the beaten eggs. Bring to a boil and immediately turn down to a gentle simmer and cook until eggs are set, about 3 minutes.

3.     Serve over rice with plenty of the broth to make a meal in a bowl.

Miso soup is a staple in our house. It is one food that my husband can always prepare if the kids are hungry and I am not home. It also goes with just about anything. To make a really good miso you might need to find an asian grocery store, though many of the items are available at places like Whole Foods.

Miso Soup

4 cups water

1 1/2 tsp dashi broth powder (I no longer have the box, but a friend of mine showed me what she buys for her family at my asian grocery. It is basically a broth made from kombu seaweed and bonito flakes, using the powder is so much easier than making your own!)

4 Tbs miso paste (We like Shirakiku brand Shiro miso, white or red, both are good)

silken tofu, in small cubes (one 12oz package is good)

wakame (dried seaweed)

Bring the water to a boil in a soup pot. Add the dashi broth powder. In a small bowl mix the miso paste with some of the broth to loosen it. Add to the hot broth (do not allow to boil from here on) and reduce heat to barely a simmer. Add the tofu and the wakame (the package says to soak in water first but I never do, I just add it to the soup and it hydrates from there).

I use a lot of tofu. I like different kinds for different meals. The best tofu for stir fry is a firm tofu with body. We have a local place that make excellent cakes of tofu that I can buy at Whole Foods, it is called Bridge Tofu (it is made in Middletown CT, see http://www.bridgetofu.com/). The closest thing that is available on a broad commercial base is probably the extra firm Nasoya that is water packed. But try looking for something that is made locally.

Tofu Stir Fry

1 1/2 cups rice (I prefer short grain rice)

1 cake firm tofu, cubed

2 Tbs oil (I prefer peanut or olive oil)

5 large shitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 small head broccoli, cut into florets

1 cup snow peas, large ones sliced longwise (I used the ones from my son’s garden!)

2-3 Tbs Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian Stir Fry Sauce (if you cannot find it at your grocery store, try an Asian market)

Cook rice. I use a rice maker as it is fool proof. It is a great investment as it makes family meals so much easier!

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the tofu and fry until golden brown on all sides. Remove from wok. Add the mushrooms, snow peas and broccoli (you can substitute other veggies) and a about 2 Tbs water and cover wok to let veggie steam for about 2-3 minutes. Uncover wok and stir veggies until they are cook thoroughly. Add cooked tofu and the stir fry sauce with a little more water. Toss to even coat and distribute flavor.

Noah (10) ate everything, noting that it was delicious.

Eitan (8) picked out the mushrooms and then ate 95%.

Lilian (5) ate it all then asked for more broccoli.

Jethro (2) ate four servings of rice and most of the tofu.