The Edgier Side of Tofu

I'm tired of feeling like a health nut every time I eat tofu. Yeah it's healthy, but it's a whole lot of other things too...like good. 

Eat this --->

Grilled Tofu Salad with Pickled Carrots & Savoy Cabbage

            

(yield: 4 servings)

1 package firm tofu

1/4 cup Teriyaki Marinade

5 tbsp carrot pickling liquid (recipe follows)

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp salt

1 small head savoy cabbage (3 cups), shredded
1 oz red onion, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups Pickled Carrots (recipe follows)

canola oil, as needed
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

Remove the block of tofu from the package, and slice length-wise into 1-inch thick strips. Keeping the block intact, place back into package and pour Teriyaki Marinade over. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

In a large bowl, whisk together pickling liquid, sugar and salt. Add cabbage, onion, and pickled carrots to the bowl and toss to combine.

Brush a grill pan with oil and place over medium-high heat. Retrieve the tofu from the marinade, and dab off excess liquid. Once pan is hot, grill the tofu about 2 minutes per side, turning 90 degrees at the halfway point to achieve cross-hatch marks. Top salad with grilled tofu, and sprinkle with peanuts.

Pickled Carrots

3 cups hot water

3 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp salt

3 tbsp rice vinegar

1 large carrot, peeled into thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler

Place the water, sugar and salt into a glass mason jar, and stir until everything is dissolved. Stir in rice vinegar, and add carrots, making sure that they are all submerged in the liquid. Close jar with airtight lid and refrigerate for at least 2 days (the longer it sits the better). These keep for up to  month in the refrigerator.

Baby Gourmet: Dairy

Once my baby started approaching the 1 year mark, I decided to expand his menu by gradually introducing dairy products like cow's milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese. Since I don't have a farm in my backyard, nor the luxury of getting freshly squeezed milk, I make sure to get good quality, organic milk from the store. But when it comes to things that I can actually make myself (assuming it doesn't take too long), I say why not. 


At around 10 months, I started making Zelli homemade cottage cheese using my grandmother's recipe. He's been gobbling it down ever since, and while he loves eating it, I love knowing that my baby is getting something uber fresh, with no preservatives. I also love how easy it is to make.


Now this cottage cheese is not the curd kind. It's smooth like ricotta, but thicker in texture and tangier in flavor. 

Homemade Cottage Cheese
(yield: 2 cups)

2 quarts buttermilk
2 ft. square of cheesecloth

Place the cartons of buttermilk into a deep pot, and fill with water to reach 3/4 of the way up the sides. Make sure to open the cartons of buttermilk before placing over heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to very low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove pot from heat, and allow the buttermilk to cool (still remaining in the water). The water does not have to be completely cool, but it will still take a few hours to cool down.

Fold the cheesecloth in half to form a double layer. Line a medium bowl with the cheesecloth, and pour the buttermilk inside. The buttermilk should be separated. Once all the clear watery liquid is drained, you should be left with a thicker, yogurt-like mass. Grab the 4 ends of the cheesecloth, and tie them around your kitchen faucet, so that the sack hangs and the excess liquid can drip away. Make sure to tie the cheesecloth securely, as it will be hanging in this position for several hours. Place a bowl directly underneath just in case. Leave overnight, and in the morning you will have fresh cottage cheese for your baby.

I like to mix in fresh berries and yogurt, or even an egg yolk on occasion for added nutrients.

Oh, and who said mama can't have some for herself?