Braised Tofu in a Caramel Sauce w/ Coconut Rice

April 15, 2008 | by Ben 0

I recently made Mark Bittman’s Braised Tofu in a Caramel Sauce and served it over Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Vegan with a Vengeance Coconut Rice:

Although this dish is vegan, it definitely tastes decadent. Fried tofu in a rich sauce is very flavorful and substantial. Sarah didn’t even like tofu until she’d had it fried (which is the most traditional preparation anyway). We liked this so much we made it two weeks in a row.

The tofu preparation is basically Darlene Schmidt’s Thai recipe, while the dish itself is from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.

Braised Tofu in a Caramel Sauce

1 1/2 –2 lbs tofu
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar (optional)
1 cup oil for frying

1 cup sugar

6 limes
1 clove garlic, minced
2 TB. soy sauce or tamari
1/2 cup + 2 TB. water, preferably warm
1 Tb brown sugar

1/2 cup peeled and … continue reading

Short Ribs and Squash in a Caramel Sauce

February 19, 2008 | by Ben 2

After successfully grilling some shrimp lately on my grill pan, it struck me that it might be more useful than I’d previously thought. I’d long ago decided it wasn’t much good for boneless chicken breasts (then again, those aren’t usually much good grilled anyway) and I retired the pan. Steve Raichlen’s Argentinian beef short ribs, though, turned out really well on it:

We’ve really taken to short ribs lately, which we had as part of the grilled sampler on a recent visit to Sasa Matsu. They are about the same price per serving as sirloin but are a lot more tender and flavorful. The recipe for these is really simple. You rub a mixture of equal parts salt, pepper, oregano and hot pepper flakes on both sides of the ribs. Drizzle with some olive oil and press on some finely chopped fresh garlic. Let them sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes … continue reading

Mini Mud Pies with Bruleed Bananas

December 23, 2007 | by Ben 6

I made this recipe as an entry into the Mini Pie Revolution contest. I came up with the ice cream recipe years ago, but I always knew I needed some kind of counterpoint to the intensity of the chocolate, coffee and bourbon flavors. The granola crusts work well for this, as do the bruleed bananas.

Cocoa-Almond Granola Pie Crusts
1 3/4 cups rolled oats3/4 cup slivered almonds1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder¼ teaspoon salt¼ cup brown sugar1 ½ TB. white sugar3 TB. honey1 TB. Canola oil¼ teaspoon vanilla3 TB. butter, melted or at room temperature
(1) Preheat oven to 275 degrees.(2) Mix together first six ingredients in a medium bowl and next three ingredients in a small bowl. Combine thoroughly.(3) Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 30–40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until fragrant.(4) Remove mixture and allow to cool slightly. It should become crunchy.(5) Turn oven up to 325 degrees.(6) Pulse oat mixture with butter into course meal … continue reading