Come by and nominate for February.
ASPARAGUS, SCALLION & TOFU TANGLE - p. 237
Batons of tofu are tossed in olive oil, sesame oil, and cornstarch and spread out on a sheet pan. Asparagus and scallions are tossed in some olive oil and spread on another sheet pan. Both pans are roasted simultaneously, then allowed to cool a bit. Cooked soba noodles are tossed with some sesame oil, then tossed with the roasted veg and tofu, peanuts, fresh mint, and lime juice. I riffed based on what I had available and used cilantro instead of mint, and lemon juice instead of lime. I also used a Korean noodle that was a buckwheat/rice combo.
Nothing fancy, but it was an easy meal to put together, tasty, and satisfying. I would make it again, and I’d like to make it using the mint as called for.
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This was quite good. Sometimes cumin’s aroma puts me off, so I added coriander too. I wanted that pure turmeric-dill herbiness but it ended up perfect. I was skeptical about boiling the canned beans, so I added them with a few minutes left. I was also wondering about the necessity of the tahini sauce but it really added something. I love it when a recipe proves all my doubts wrong! But some yogurt would have been good too. I got lazy and did not make it as crispy as I could have, but it’s good either way,
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Is the spaghetti cooked when you add it? Otherwise it seems like the broccoli florets would be really over-cooked if they’re being boiled as long as the pasta.
No, the spaghetti is not cooked when you add it. The broccoli comes out tender, but not overdone to my taste. If you like crunchy broccoli, then you would need to modify the recipe.
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GREEN CHILE PORK WITH CRISPY RICE p. 329
I have had a ridiculously busy year and haven’t had much time to cook, but today I finally had the chance and turned to this book knowing that it has lots of quick options. This one is another winner. The dish is quite easy and very tasty, especially given how few ingredients there were. (Just garlic, poblanos/anaheims, serranos/jalapenos, rice, cumin, ground pork, spinach, and limes.) The rice is supposed to crisp up and mine didn’t clump well, but no matter. Will try again in a different pan next time. I used two seeded serranos and didn’t find it spicy at all - will leave the seeds next time. Though I didn’t find it underseasoned, I also agree with other EYB reviewers and think more cumin would be welcome. Still, all in all it is a keeper that I will definitely keep in my back pocket. Looking forward to another dish from this book that I have planned for later in the weekend if I can make time.
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WHITE BEAN SCAMPI STEW (p. 350)
This is SO good. Garlic, lemon, chilies, beans, shrimp, wine … my favorites! She directs you to cook the shrimp first, but to me it made more sense to just add the marinating shrimp to the stewy beans when they are a few minutes from being done. I also added a few handfuls of baby spinach to the stewing beans, which made it a full meal for me. I made half a recipe, and ate the whole thing, so I don’t think this serves 4, unless you have maybe some bread and a salad on the side. Main thing is that you should definitely make this. I can see adding mushrooms (or replacing the shrimp with mushrooms). Can’t wait to eat this again. Oh, and it is really really easy to make.
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Nomination time!
SMOKY WHITE BEANS & CAULIFLOWER (p. 82)
My reaction to this was the complete opposite of Mel’s - I absolutely loved it. Dining solo, so I halved the recipe (and then proceeded to eat the whole thing, consoling myself with a reminder that she always seems to have small portions). I used Great Northern beans, and they were delightfully creamy inside. I loved the herb salad (mine was all cilantro), and made sure not to overdress it based on Mel’s review. I love aioli, and knew I’d want more than a quarter cup (but many not that many calories) so I added a bit of nonfat yogurt, which slightly thinned it and helped stretch it (and I didn’t taste the yogurt). Basically this tastes like patatas bravas, as she says in her introductory note, and for me it was delicious.
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TURMERIC SHRIMP WITH CITRUS & AVOCADO (p. 345)
This is the recipe on the cover, and it is easy to see why, as it is beautiful. Easy, healthy and tasty too. I made half a recipe since I was dining solo again, and yep, ate the whole thing. I didn’t have a carb with dinner and feeling no guilt. Dry your shrimp then toss with turmeric and salt. Cut a cucumber (she calls for Persian or mini, I used an English one) toss with salt, add cut grapefruit. They didn’t have any grapefruit at the store (!!) so I used a large funky looking mandarin (which was delightfully sweet, and I’ll get it again - wish I could remember the name). She says you can use tangerines, mango, pineapple or a mix - I think mango would be perfect. Add oil to a cast-iron skillet, and once warm add a halved jalapeno along with the shrimp; let sit for 2 minutes and then turn for a final minute of cooking. Add shrimp to the bowl of cucumber/citrus and chop the chili and add that too. Halve and pit an avocado and scoop out pieces to add to the salad. Dress with lime and olive oil. This was a good solo meal; I felt pretty virtuous after but still satisfied.
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Sounds interesting. Definitely not a flavor combo I’ve had.
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Exactly! Thank you!
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You’re quite welcome! (They are my current fruit obsession, much to the dismay of my bank account balance - so perfect yet pricey - and I can happily eat several a day.)
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Seriously delicious.
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