Recipe Roulette: Black Pepper Tofu and Green Beans

I can hear the wind outside as it rustles through the bamboo...a cold front is blowing in. 

The air now is warm and very dry. 

With the heat of this dish still burning my lips, I write this post for one of my new favorite dishes; Black Pepper Tofu and Green Beans, the perfect combination of heat, sweet and salty. 

Enjoy!

 Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound green beans, trimmed and halved

2 tablespoons lime juice 

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon pepper 

14 ounces firm tofu, drained and patted dry

2 tablespoons canola oil 

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar 

1/2 cup sliced shallots

Preparation

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add green beans, and cook until bright green, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. 

2. In a small bowl, mix lime juice, soy sauce, and pepper, then set aside.

3. Cut tofu into 1/2-in.-thick rectangles. Heat oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add tofu, sprinkle with sugar, and cook, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. 

4. Stir in shallots and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. 

5. Add green beans and cook until warmed, about 3 minutes. Pour in soy mixture and stir to coat.

via Kate Washington, Sunset 
September 2011

Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 285
Calories from fat: 37%
Protein: 17g
Fat: 12g
Saturated fat: 1.1g
Carbohydrate: 30g
Fiber: 8.6g
Sodium: 276mg
Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Recipe Roulette: Savory Kale and Lentil Soup

It was a Saturday night, I had a lot of work ahead of me, an empty refrigerator and a bottle of red wine. Noticing that I had some organic Kale that I wanted to use before it went bad and a bag of lentils, I decided to play a little recipe roulette and Googled 'Kale+Lentils' and came up with this recipe for Savory Kale and Lentil Soup from Suite 101. I made a couple of modifications as I went along, they are listed below. This soup is very hearty (a little bowl goes a long way) and I felt that, as suggested, should be served with garlic bread or croutons to add a little more flavor and variety in textures. I also added some shredded parmesan. Bon Appetit!

Ingredients
• 1/2 small to medium bunch of kale
• 1 yellow onion (I used a red onion)
• 2 tsp cumin spice (I used 2.5 tsp)
• 2 tsp curry spice (I used 2.5 tsp)
• 5 large carrots
• 1- 1 1/2 cup red lentils (I used brown lentils)
• 32 oz of vegetable or chicken broth (I used 44oz or 5.5 cups)
• 1 tbl of olive oil or vegetable oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 Clove of Garlic
Recipe
1. Coarsely chop carrots, onion and garlic.
2. Heat 1 Tblsp of olive or other vegetable oil in a large soup pot.
3. Saute chopped carrots, onions and garlic in the oil.
4. Mix in cumin and curry.

5. Once the carrots and onion are tender (the onions will start to become translucent) add in vegetable or chicken broth.
6. Bring broth to a slight boil and turn down to a simmer.

7. Add in lentils and let simmer for approx 5-10 minutes.
8. Add coarsely (or finely, if you prefer) chopped kale to the broth.

9. Let simmer covered for another 20-25 minutes or until kale is tender and lentils have turned golden and soft.
10. Once kale is tender and lentils have turned golden then the soup is ready to enjoy.
11. Season soup with salt, pepper, and garlic to taste.
12. Serve the soup alone or with crunchy garlic croutons or garlic bread.

*Makes approximately 4-6 servings.
Reference:
Wood, R. (1999). The new whole foods encyclopedia: A comprehensive resource for healthy eating. New York: Penguin Books.