TOSS BP Pasta!

I got inspired by Melissa d’Arabian’s stint at The Next Food Network Star.  She had a helpful tip to add each ingredient “to let the flavors build”.  It was something that stuck when she was learning to make ratatouile  (remember EZPOT?), and she applied this is in their grill challenge with habaneros.  Anyway, I hope my interpretation is right – I’m thinking once the “chemical change” is apparent in one ingredient so that it is more receptive of the last ingredient’s flavor, then it is time to add the next one. I wanted to see if the tip applied to making a pasta using whatever you had in the pantry.  So here it is – I humbly present to you my sundried tomato and basil pasta, which I’ve nicknamed TOSS BP for tomato, olives, sea salt, sundried tomato, basil, pepper/parmesan cheese.

Melissa – you are the tip master!

250 g whole wheat pasta, cooked according to package directions

1 medium firm tomato (get the orange kind), chopped, seeds included

1/2 to 1 cup oil-packed sundried tomato,  coarsely chopped

about 2/3 cup olives (get the ones with pimiento in the middle)

4 cloves of garlic, sliced

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 to 1 cup fresh basil, chopped

vegan “parmesan cheese”

sea salt, to taste (optional)

pepper

1. Saute the garlic in olive oil until lightly browned.

2. Add the fresh tomato. Cook in the oil until it softens and soaks up the flavor of the garlic.

3. Add the olives. Season with some sea salt until you get the desired taste.

4. Add the sun-dried tomato and basil.  (Here, I’m not cooking it too long because 1). the sun dried tomato has it’s own flavor that I don’t want to mess with; 2). I don’t want to overcook the basil so it adds a nice, fresh texture as well as it’s distinct flavor)

5. Season with pepper.

6. Top with vegan parmesan cheese. If using parmesan cheese with sodium, do away with the sea salt.

Buon Appetito!

Arroz Caldo and Tokwa’t Tokwa

Yay for comfort food: Arroz caldo and tokwa’t tokwa. Something to give your insides a hug on a cloudy/rainy day.

Arroz Caldo

The meat version of the arroz caldo has chicken, while the tokwa’t tokwa is tokwa’t baboy (with pork).  It is just fantastic.

Tokwa't Tokwa

Via Mare

http://www.viamare.com.ph/

Inoki Mushrooms with Sesame Oil

After the disaster with the last mushroom recipe, I was ready to give inoki mushrooms another go.  I liked this with polished white rice. My folks had it with soy ginger steak. Whatever.

Main Ingredients:

3 T olive oil

1 T grated ginger

450 g or 1 lb inoki mushrooms (root ends discarded, stems separated from the other stems)

1 T white flour* mixed with 3 T water

dash of liquid seasoning (I used Knorr, but I’m sure you can forego this if you wish)

1 T light soy sauce mixed with1/2 T sesame oil

1. Heat oil and stir-fry grated ginger for 2 minutes. Add inoki mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute.

2. Add liquid seasoning and stir-fry for 30 s.

3. Add soy sauce solution and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

3. Stir in flour mixture to thicken sauce. Remove from heat. Serve hot. Garnish as desired.

*You can use corn flour/corn starch or wheat flour as well.

Is it the real thing?

Nope, but between this and Bodhi’s take on this dish, Veggie Boutique’s version is a lot closer to authentic Pinoy pork barbecue in texture and in taste.  It’s cheaper too. Php50 for 4 sticks.

Veggie Boutique

veggieboutique.multiply.com

veggieboutique.wordpress.com

Nonie Fernando

(632) 8961215
(63) 9176311421

(Don’t get me wrong, I love Bodhi! I just like Veggie Boutique’s version of Pinoy style barbecue better)

Mushrooms Galore!

Mushroom Salad

Mushroom Pasta

I love these sweet mushrooms! Have you ever had them in pancit canton? I kept thinking about the pancit canton at the Sofitel Plaza Easter buffet. I didn’t have pictures of those then. These are from a different resto. Discovery Suites, I think.

Scrambled Tofu

Vegan Scrambled Tofu

This is a recipe I took from Gulay by Nona Lema. It has some dairy, so I modified it a bit to make it vegan.

Ingredients:

extra virgin olive oil
1 block tofu or 4 pcs tokwa
2 T soy milk
2 T gata or powdered coconut milk (I used Knorr)
2 T spring onions (chopped)
1/2 c tomatoes
seasoning (instead of seasoning, I used 1 T of soy sauce)
salt, pepper

1. Mash tofu or tokwa. Set aside.
2. Saute spring onions in a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. Add tomatoes. Cook well.
3. Mix in mashed tofu or tokwa. Toss well. Add coconut milk powder. Toss. Add soy milk. Toss. Add  soy sauce. Toss.
4. Cook until the juices have more or less evaporated.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve

I loved mine with brown rice and catsup. The original author said she likes it on pan de sal.  Tell me what you think!

Tofu Teppanyaki

I’m trying to shake my fish teppanyaki addiction, so at the next Japanese restaurant we went to, I ordered Tofu Teppanyaki instead. My gamble paid off! It was so good.

Appetizer: It tasted like the eggplants were grilled then sauteed. Yummy!

Yum!

Tofu Steak Teppanyaki

I always order ripe mango shake! I didn’t like theirs though. It tasted like it was diluted.

Ripe Mango Shake

It’s at Sugi in Greenbelt.

Try to go before 12 noon. The place fills up really quickly!

Tofu Scramble

Ingredients:

* 1/2 yellow onion, diced
* 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
* 1 block tofu, drained and pressed
* 2 tbsp oil or margarine
* 1 tsp garlic powder
* 1 tsp onion powder
* 1/2 tsp dried parsley
* 1 tbsp soy sauce
* 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
* 1/2 tsp turmeric (optional)

Preparation:
Slice the tofu into approximately one inch cubes. Then, using either your hands or a fork, crumble it slightly.

Sautee onion, pepper and crumbled tofu in oil for 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Add remaining ingredients, reduce heat to medium and allow to cook 5-7 more minutes, stirring frequently and adding more oil if needed.

Wrap in a warmed flour tortilla with a bit of salsa for a breakfast burrito or top with soy or dairy cheese. Serves two.

Nutrition Facts: One serving provides approximately: Calories: 365, Calories from Fat: 220
Total Fat: 24.5g, 18%
Total Carbohydrates: 18.9g, 6% Cholesterol: 0mg, 0%
Sodium: 484mg, 20%
Dietary Fiber: 4.8g, 19%
Protein: 24.2g
Vitamin A 19%, Vitamin C 100%, Calcium 39%, Iron 33%, Based on a 2000 calorie diet

- taken from About.com
- I didn’t have cumin, so I put in 3 teaspoons of leftover vegetable curry
- I used olive oil instead of butter
- I used 3/4 of an onion instead of onion powder
- I used an entire green bell pepper instead of half

- I served it with half a cup of red-brown rice, and a cup of steaming polished rice.

Yummeee!