Greens, They're What's for Dinner: Saag Tofu

Gosh, where do I begin in telling you of my love for Indian cuisine?

It seems almost an injustice to put it into words.  I love the the aromas, the textures, the spices, and widely varied ingredients.  There's an incredible diversity in the food culture of India -- and so much fascinating history behind the cuisine, which has benefited from the influences of numerous peoples and traditions.

On top of everything, Indian food is easily adaptable for strict vegetarians, for the gluten-free crowd, and it is extremely budget-friendly (for all you frugal gourmets out there).  It's also one of the best ways I know to use those couple of pounds of stray greens you have lying around. You know, the ones you bought (even though you didn't know what you were going to do with them) because they looked SO AMAZING at the farmer's market.

Saag paneer (or similarly, palak paneer), is a smooth, spiced Indian dish, the best versions of which are sprinkled liberally with sizable chunks of a cheese called paneer. The dish hails from the northern portion of India, where flat bread (puris, chapatis, or na'an) is generally served in lieu of rice.  The food is typically eaten by hand using the bread to scoop up the accompanying dishes.

The purists are going to hunt me down one of these days for making this dish with tofu, rather than paneer. But, I'm going to stand behind my ways. The fact is, I've been making this substitution for years -- to the extent that it has become the rule, rather than the exception.

I'm also going to stand behind Tina from Choosy Beggars, who does exactly the same thing.  We use different recipes -- but our philosophies are very much the same.  In fact, I'm even going to use a quote from her to explain the difference between tofu and paneer:

Tofu and paneer have a couple of similarities.  They’re both white.  They’re both moderately firm.  They both enjoy getting simmered on a flavorful bed of spiced creamed spinach, and they both willingly take on whatever flavors they are offered.  Where the similarity ends is in terms of texture and flavor.  Paneer is thick, slightly chewy but rich and dense.  The flavor is creamy and just barely sweet, like fresh milk.  Tofu, on the other hand, is a spongy and occasionally slightly bitter vehicle for whatever it happens to run into.  Oddly, I’m okay with that.  -- Tina

Yeah, we're OK with that too.  If you're not, we can respect that. But, please don't be a troll and leave nasty comments about our ignorance.  We KNOW they're not the same.

But, I digress.  The fact of the matter is, paneer isn't all that hard to find, and it's not even terribly difficult to make (or so we hear). In fact, we might even decide to tackle a paneer-making project one of these days.  But, in the meantime, tofu is a lovely substitute.

Saag tofu takes a bit of prep work to get things going, but the dish actually comes together quite quickly -- so this is more than appropriate for a weeknight meal.  You'll even have enough time to whip up a side of red lentil daal to accompany it, if you feel like going the extra mile.  But, it makes a perfectly respectable meal in and of itself.

This dish is wonderful made with all spinach. But, you can also do as we do and make it with a mixture of greens (please note that you may want to pre-cook tougher greens like kale and collards).  I particularly like the subtle bite that mustard greens offer up, and so we almost always use a combination of spinach and mustard greens.

Flavorful, fresh, and beautifully green, this saag is redolent with spices and garlic. The texture is velvety and slightly tangy from the yogurt, and the mustard greens add a little bit of bite. Freshly ground garam masala elevates the spice quotient to new heights.

Just perfect scooped onto a warmed piece of garlicky na'an.

Saag Tofu (or Paneer)


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Mushroom Tofu Stroganoff

Every dish has a story, or so it seems.
Legend has it that stroganoff was invented for a culinary competition held in Saint Petersburg during 1890's. An inventive chef -- who happened to be employed as a cook for the very rich, very famous Count Pavel Alexandrovich Stroganov-- combined the classic flavors of beef, mushrooms and sour cream, and took home the first prize.

Count Stroganov would probably be appalled at our liberal adaptation of this recipe for less carnivorous tastes. But, let's ignore that. Shall we? This recipe is just as delicious as the original... with quite a bit less saturated fat. It's a perfect addition to add to your repertoire of meatless meals. It can be easily thrown together on a weeknight. AND, if you'd prefer a vegan option, this recipe can be easily adapted.

You should begin with the loveliest mushrooms you can find. These are the backbone of the vegetarian version of this dish. So, choose wisely. I like the meaty flavor of baby portabella/cremini mushrooms. For a fancier, more company-worthy dish, try a melange of wild mushrooms. You won't be sorry.
You'll also want to pick up a package of the firmest tofu you can find. I recommend a nigari-style (or baked) organic tofu, which will give you the firmest texture and best flavor. Once you've pulled the tofu out of its package, you'll want to drain it, slice it, and press it to remove as much water as possible. I like to wrap mine in layers of flour sack towels and place it under a few ceramic plates for 15-20 minutes.
When the tofu has been adequately drained, you'll want to dice it into cubes. I like mine to be bite-sized so that they're easy to manage in the frying pan.
Now heat up a bit of your butter or oil, and fry the tofu. You'll want to get the cubes brown on all sides, which means cooking them over a fairly high heat (and being a bit patient... good things take time). When you take these out of the pan to drain, you'll want to snitch one or two for nibbling. These make a fantastic snack, especially when paired with a dipping sauce for a bit of flavor (try bbq sauce... or a bit of wasabi mayo). Don't eat too many, of course, or you'll be too full for dinner... and you won't have any tofu for the stroganoff!!
After prepping the tofu, you'll work on sauteeing up some onions and garlic. You'll caramelize all of those delicious mushrooms, adding layers of delicious flavor to the finished dish. And then you'll add dill, a pinch of cayenne pepper, some shoyu soy sauce, and the fried tofu. Stir well to combine, cover, and set the whole, delicious mess aside until your pasta is cooked.

When your pasta is ready, add your sour cream. Stir well, and toss with the pasta.
When everything comes together, you'll have a hearty, heady dish redolent with mushrooms, dill, onion, and garlic. If you've done your job, your tofu will be firm and toothy, your caramelized mushrooms will be rich and meaty, and your kitchen will smell as if you spent the whole day simmering up something wonderful.
Seriously, folks, my mouth is watering just thinking about this.
I'm pretty sure you'll want to try it out for yourselves.

Mushroom Tofu Stroganoff



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Stir Fry with Tofu, Sweet Potatoes, Red Cabbage, and Hoisin

We're getting to that dreaded point of winter. The point where I'm seriously stretching my poor interior brain parts to think of ways to survive on what's left of the winter vegetables.

I've already resigned myself to the fact that most of the available salad greens are coming from California. And there's little hope of finding a bright young sweet pepper that hasn't traveled all the way from Mexico just to hang with the (decidedly pastier) local mushrooms at our little Wisconsin food co-op.

I must admit that we didn't exactly stow away quite enough of the summer harvest to get us through the winter, so I've been anxiously perusing the grocery aisles to see what I can find that's... well... seasonal. Not a ton out there -- but sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised. One of the storage vegetables that we can seem to find from local sources well into February is cabbage. Thank goodness for the lowly petite au choux! I was even more thrilled when I picked up the latest issue of Bon Appetit magazine and found a recipe for a delightful stir fry inside. Not only did it use red cabbage, but it made use of another winter staple -- the sweet potato.
I wasn't convinced that I was in the mood for chicken, which was supposed to be part of the stir-fry, so I turned to a package of tofu from our local soy purveyor, the Simple Soyman. They make THE BEST nigari-style tofu I've ever had, and it's simply perfect when crisped up a bit and thrown into a stir fry. So, we went with that instead.

As I was glancing through our spice cupboard, I found a small jar of Szechuan peppercorns. They looked so lovely and peppery, I poured a few out and gave them a photo op.
Most recognized for the part it plays in Chinese five spice and Japanese seven spice powders, the Szechuan peppercorn is definitely worth seeking out. Really a seed from the prickley ash tree, this "peppercorn" offers both a unique flavor and aroma to any dish in which it is used. Not quite as pungent as black pepper, Szechuan pepper has a floral aroma and slight lemony overtones. Perfect for this dish, if I do say so myself.

We added a bit to the stir-fry to kick it up a notch, and I really liked the flavors it brought forward when paired with the sweetness of the potato. We threw everything on top of some soba noodles and called it dinner.

The whole affair turned out to be quite the lovely dish. The vegetables cooked quickly, which is a bonus on a weeknight. And the flavors warmed our winter bellies quite nicely while giving us a boatload of nutrients to boot.

I'd call that a bonus at this time of the year.

Original Recipe: Chicken Stiry Fry with Yams, Red Cabbage, and Hoisin (Bon Appetit, February 2009)


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Don't be a Jerk, Tofu.

When Peef's brother and his family moved to Antigua, we didn't really think it would give us any particular culinary advantages. In fact, we were more worried about things like "When will we see you again?" and "What's the weather like?" and "When can we visit?" than "What sorts of foodstuffs will you bring back for us when you come home on furlough?"

Silly, silly Peef and Lo.

This past July, John and Alex came home. And they brought us a scad of fantastic local delicacies. Antiguan rum, guava jelly, johnny cake mix, Caribbean hot sauce, mango-pineapple wine, tamarind wine ... and a jar of jerk sauce.

Now, we love a good jerk. And we have (what we consider) a pretty durned good recipe for it. So, we were eager to see how the jarred sauce measured up.

But, that doesn't mean that we broke into our stash immediately. In fact, when it comes to new and exciting things I'm a bit of a hoarder. I was the kid who rationed her new school clothes so that they lasted AT LEAST until the middle of November. And I'm still the gal who loves to stash exciting new chocolate bars into the cupboard to eat... on that special occasion.

So, we didn't get around to trying out the jerk until... just a couple of weeks ago.
I decided we'd go for a nice healthy meal -- a bit of jerked tofu with some roasted cauliflower and onions -- for starters.

Upon opening the jark of jerk, Peef took a whiff. "Wha-hoo!" he snorted, as his eyes began to water "I think it's gonna be hot."

Of course, that warning only served as an invitation for me to force my whole nose down into the container to get a nice sniff. I got a little on the tip of my nose, which I promptly wiped off. But, the burn... oh, the burn. This was going to be some good stuff.

We mixed together that excrutiating sauce with a bit of olive oil...
...and slathered the 12 ounces of cubed tofu. We left no cube un-jerked. In fact, the screams (and slew of profanities) emanating from the processed soy product were almost intolerable. It actually made us feel badly for a moment or two. But, ultimately, we smiled sadistically and threw the tofu (not violently, of course) into the fridge for a nice 24 hour marinade.
The next day, the tortured tofu, which was now feeling slightly suicidal, eagerly submitted to the firey depths of our roasty oven (425º convection roast) for about 25 minutes or so, alongside the (infinitely LESS eager) cauliflower and onions. And the crispified delights that greeted our eyes were absolutely stunning.
... and friggin' hot to boot.
We took our first bites. Yes, indeed. This jerk was the real thing. A bit saltier than our recipe... and quite a bit hotter. We bathed our mouths in a swig of nice cold beer... and then went in for second bites. And thirds.

Oh, yeah.

We have about a quarter cup of the sauce left to try on another 12 ounces of unsuspecting tofu. And after that, it's back to the test kitchen with our personal recipe. I'm thinking we'll up the scotch bonnets from 2 peppers to 3, for starters. Cuz mo' hotter is mo' better as far as we're concerned.

Burp! Jerk


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Crisp Roasted Curried Cauliflower with Tofu

We are huge fans of roasted vegetables. The heat of summer normally horns in on our desire to heat up the kitchen with anything close to a 400º oven. But, on cooler days, we can make an exception. And thank goodness!

One of the things we most love to roast is cauliflower. Seems a bit of high heat does wonders for the sweetness of this vegetable. Not to mention giving it a lovely caramelized color.

Add a few colorful spices, and you're on your way to something wonderful.
Once everything is mixed together, you just slide the seasoned vegetables into their luxury tanning bed...
And WA-LA! They come out looking rather spectacular!
This cauliflower is a splendiforous departure from some of the other treatments for late-summer cauliflower. It combines the warm, sensual aromas of Indian curry with the ease of a one-pot dinner.

And the leftovers... ah! the leftovers! They're almost better than the first time around. Wrap a spoonful up in a pita for a quick sandwich. Add a splash of cream and whir in the blender for a quick, creamy soup. Or just do as I do, and eat it cold, straight from the fridge. Oh, and those of you making icky faces and "boo-ing" need to try it before judging too harshly :)

I like throwing tofu in this dish. But, you can easily make it without. It's also great with a bit of cooked chicken, or as a side dish with a more expansive Indian feast.

We served this with a side of fresh radish raita -- a simple mixture of yogurt, minced radishes and cucumbers, red wine vinegar, chopped fresh mint, and a pinch of salt. It cut the heat of the dish nicely, and gave the hot cauliflower a nice, cool, summer crunch.Crisp Roasted Curried Cauliflower with (or without) Tofu

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