Vegetarian Tofu Tacos

I am constantly looking for delicious, fresh and nourishing vegetarian meals to supplement the meat we eat on other days. Living with a serious carnivore like Prof. Hubs (the man would eat three meals of meat a day) makes the search even more of a challenge because serious meat eaters are very picky about their vegetarian protein sources. These tofu tacos are a favorite meal at our house (that's true for me AND Prof. carnivore/hubs...) We eat them at least once a week. This is a wonderful meal for a family because everyone can customize the tacos completely and it's fun for a group because it's eaten with the hands and is a bit messy. AND it's fresh, nourishing, vegetarian, and delicious.

Feel free to customize as you like; I'm sure the spice rub would be great on ground beef/turkey/chicken instead of tofu but that defeats the point for me.

TOFU TACOS

1 package small corn tortillas

1 package WATER-PACKED extra firm tofu (the cardboard-packed kind is too slippery and just isn't crumbly enough)

2 to 3 TBSP spice rub (recipe below)

salt

1 onion, sliced into rounds

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can corn, drained and rinsed

GARNISHES

reduced fat shredded mexican cheese

1 avocado or fresh guacamole (mix avocado with half a lime and some salt to make fresh guac)

chopped cilantro

sour cream

fresh salsa

SPICE MIX (This recipe makes extra-I keep it in a plastic bag so I always have some around)

combine:

3 TBSP ground paprika

1 TBSP ground cumin

2 TBSP oregano

1 tsp (I probably add more like 1 TBSP because I like some heat) ground cayenne

1 tsp garlic powder or dried garlic

Instructions:

If you have the time freeze the package of tofu for an hour. The process of freezing and then defrosting increases the crumbling/meaty texture. If not, skip this step.

In a large sauté pan heat a bit of olive oil over high and add onion. Cook until translucent then add beans and corn, lower heat to medium-high.

In a different pan, heat olive oil over medium high to high. Crumble in tofu, add spice mixture and salt to taste. I find it needs a bit of salt... Stir to combine. I like to stir and then rest the tofu over heat for a bit so that the tofu develops a crust. I find it's more meaty. The stir/rest thing lasts for about five minutes. Meanwhile:

Prepare garnishes in an assembly line (I like to have Cheese, guac, sour cream, salsa, cilantro)

Heat tortillas (I do it on the stove in a small pan over medium heat or in the microwave...follow package directions.)

Assemble tortillas and enjoy (with lots of napkins!)

Extreme close-up of delicious taco filling goodness....

Pre-Passover Pasta Binge

For me, going without bread is a challenge of marathon proportions. This is why the week of Passover can be difficult for me. Tonight is the first night of Passover. If you want to know what that is click here.

In between the many flourless chocolate cakes I made this weekend (new recipes coming soon) I knew that my pre-Passover dinner needed to be a real carb-fest. With that in mind here is the recipe for my version of a Ragù alla Bolognese.

Ragù alla Bolognese alla DesperateHousediva

olive oil + a bit of butter

1/2 onion chopped

1/4 cup chopped carrot

1/4 cup chopped celery

pinch of nutmeg

1 lb. of lean ground turkey or beef or, for a vegetarian version, 1 lb. of mixed sliced mushrooms

s&p

1 bay leaf

1 (15 oz.) can of crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup dry white wine

large dollop of sourcream

In a large pan over med-high heat heat oil with a bit of butter, sauté onions, celery and carrot until softened, about 4 minutes. Add nutmeg and bay leaf. Sauté for another minute. Then add meat (or mushrooms) and cook until meat is browned or mushrooms are cooked. Add tomatoes and wine. Stir occasionally as alcohol smell is cooked out. Add Salt and Pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for at least 15 minutes (it's better if you simmer it 30-40 minutes. Before serving, uncover and stir in a large dollop of sour cream. Enjoy (with huge amounts of shredded parmegiano reggiano, if you're me...)

Homemade Cardamom Spice Granola

After a brief flirtation with Spring, Winter has returned to Midwestia. I woke up this morning to several inches of snow. This inclement weather has, so far, prevented me from accomplishing many of the tasks on today's to-do list. Instead, I decided it was the perfect day to create the ultimate granola recipe...

Here is what I like in granola: a bit of spice, a bit of sweet, a bit of salt, a bit of nuttiness, a bit of fruitiness...

Here is what I've come up with:

DESPERATE HOUSEDIVA'S CARDAMOM SPICE GRANOLA

4 cups rolled oats

up to 1.5 cups chopped/slivered almonds

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup brown sugar (or 1/4 cup brown sugar plus 1/4 cup honey-if using just sugar, dissolve it in a few TBSPs hot water before adding)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 (or up to 1 tsp depending on preference) tsp ground cardamom

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

up to 1.5 cups dried fruit of choice (I like dried cherries or dates best)

Preheat oven to 325. In a large bowl, combine oats, salt, almonds, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and brown sugar until there aren't any brown sugar lumps. Then add oil, honey (if using,) and vanilla. Mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning if you like.

Spread onto a lightly greased jelly roll pan. Bake until golden brown, for about 25 minutes total with frequent (about every 6 minutes) turning of granola with spatula.

Allow to cool and then add fruits.

ENJOY!!!

1950's housewife recipe-Enchilada Casserole

There are a few recipes I have come across that make me think of a 1950's housewife. These are casseroles or the kind of dish that involve a can or two of cream of mushroom soup, etc. Don't worry-this recipe is not really that kind of recipe... but somehow when I make it I still sort of feel like I should be wearing a ruffled apron and heels. It must be the 'casserole' part of the title.

I have made this recipe many, many times. It's always a hit and very easy to customize (i.e. it can easily be made vegetarian by substituting the turkey with tofu, crumbled and mixed with a bit of salt, cumin, garlic, oregano, cayenne, and paprika powders.) It's also Gluten Free which is wonderful for those who are wheat/gluten sensitive/intolerant (like some of my favorite people-you know who you are!)

TURKEY ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

adapted from a Cooking Light recipe

• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped red pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano leaves or 1 tablespoon dried
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salad oil
• 1 can diced green chiles
• 30 oz. (pref. organic) red enchilada sauce
• Salt
• 12 corn tortillas (6 in. wide)
• 1 bag (8oz) reduced fat Mexican blend shredded cheese (NOT taco blend...)
• Chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 425. In a large sautée pan over high heat, stir turkey, onion, peppers, garlic, oregano, and cumin in oil until turkey is crumbly and no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in chiles and 1 cup enchilada sauce. Add salt to taste.

Cut tortillas in half. Arrange a fourth of the halves evenly over the bottom of a shallow 3-quart casserole, overlapping to fit. Sprinkle a fourth of the cheese evenly over the tortillas, then top with a third of the turkey mixture and a fourth of the remaining enchilada sauce, spreading each level. Repeat to make two more layers of tortillas, cheese, turkey mixture, and sauce; top with another layer of tortillas and sauce, then cheese. (Reread this a few times, it seems a bit confusing at first...)

Bake in a 425° regular or convection oven until cheese is melted and casserole is hot in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic

Dear Ina Garten,

Thank you for creating recipes that are always successful. Much love,

DesperateHousediva

I have seen many recipes for Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic over years in various places and have been intrigued. I love both chicken and garlic. Forty cloves of garlic should be the minimum for all recipes... Well, maybe not ALL...

When I came across Ina's recipe I knew it was going to work out, there was no question in my mind. I have had success with every Ina recipe I've ever made and this recipe is no exception. It's fantastic, it's simple, and it makes you feel FANCY. I love recipes that make me feel both accomplished and successful. I served the chicken with sautéed greens (swiss chard) and moroccan couscous (whole wheat couscous cooked in chicken broth, tossed with sultana raisins & sautéed shallots...)

CHICKEN WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC

from Ina Garten

3 whole heads of garlic (this is about 40 cloves

2 small chickens, cut into eighths (I just used one chicken cut into parts...)

S&P

1 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsps olive oil

3 Tbsps Cognac (or plain brandy,) divided

1.5 cups dry white wine

1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)

2 Tbsps flour

2 Tbsp heavy cream (optional... but delicious...)

Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and peel. Set aside.

Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, saute the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don't want to pierce the skin with a fork. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to saute all the chicken in batches. Remove the last chicken to the plate and add all of the garlic to the pot.

Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and the wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of Cognac and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste; it should be very flavorful because chicken tends to be bland. Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

Strawberry Rhubarb love

I can remember very clearly the first time I ever tasted a strawberry rhubarb pie. It was during a visit to Windsor, Canada to visit my mother's cousin and her family. I was about five years old and before that visit the only pies I had tasted were apple (my mom's enormous-great-wall-of-china apple pie, to be specific.) I remember the moment like it was yesterday-the sun shining into the open kitchen where my mother's cousin presented me with a slice of this gorgeous golden-brown pie, the glossy red and pink fruits housed inside just bursting to be freed from their crust-bonds (and into my tummy.) And since that first bite of sweet/tart/strawberry-rhubarbedy goodness I've been hooked on everything strawberry rhubarb. However, oddly enough until this afternoon I had not made a strawberry rhubarb anything in my own kitchen.

I had some leftover empanada dough and decided to use it to make a pie. I think real pie crust is probably better (it's fluffier and flakier) but this dough was a huge hit and a pie was a great way to use the leftovers (as would be a tart or a quiche, I'm sure...) I hadn't decided what kind of pie I was going to make with the dough but during my midday trip to the grocery store the sale on strawberries decided for me. Professor hubs said it was the best pie he'd ever had (biased much?) but I can attest that it is really delicious. If you've never had strawberry rhubarb pie it's a sort of bright, tart and sweet flavor.

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PIE

3 cups rhubarb stalks cut into 1/2 inch pieces. (pull of outside stringy layer of stalks, like celery strings. It's kinda fun....also discard any leaves which are poisonous!)

1 to 1.5 cup strawberries, stemmed and sliced

1 cup of sugar (you could probably use even less if your strawberries are really sweet.)

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

zest of one lemon

sprinkle of dried ginger

sprinkle of cinnamon

unbaked pastry crust for two-crust pie

Preheat oven to 4oo. In a large bowl combine all ingredients except pastry crust. Mix well. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Put buttom layer of crust into prepared pie pan. Pour in fruit mixture. Top with other layer of pastry crust and pinch/crimp together edges. Cut a few slits in the top crust for ventilation. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. then lower heat to 350 for 30 minutes. You may need to cover the edges with foil if they are browning too quickly. Remove from heat and allow to cool before serving. If you like warm fruit pies the juices will be runnier than if you allow them to cool to room temperature. In a word: YUM!

Epic Empanadas

During my sophomore year in college I shared a lovely house with six sopranos (opera singers, not gangsters...though I often wonder which would be more violent and dramatic...)

It had one shower. Thus, it had its fair share of drama. But it was some of the most fun I've ever had in a living situation-and we did some fabulous cooking. Everyone of us had a few specialties we would add to the evening's feasts and one of my most requested contributions were these chicken empanadas.

I had recently returned to the States following a few months living in Paris. Oddly enough, while there I developed a love for all things Spanish-must have been those daily flamenco dance lessons...and no, I'm not being ironic. I really did spend every day before dinner in Paris taking 2 flamenco classes. And my poooooor soprano roommates! I would practice that stomping on the wood floor above their heads as they attempted to watch tv. I am amazed they didn't throw me out...maybe these empanadas de pollo had something to do with it.

CHICKEN EMPANADAS

taken from Bon Appetit

8 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped tomato (I used canned)

1/4 cup water

2 Tbsp. yellow raisins (I usually hate raisins but you will love them in this recipe)

2 Tbsps. chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 Tbsps. chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

2 Tbsp. dry breadcrumbs

s&p

1 batch empanada dough...or premade pizza crust, or crescent rolls, or wonton wrappers, or puff pastry...you have options. I will give you my favorite recipe but with the understanding that sometimes fast is better and crescent rolls are faster than homemade empanada dough :)

preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease or silpat or parchment a cookie sheet.

Combine first 11 ingredients (chicken through cumin) in a large sautée pan or skillet over medium high until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Then transfer to a food processor; grind coarsely (a few pulses is all it takes.)

Transfer to medium bowl, add in breadcrumbs, s&p to taste. If you have the patience, allow to cool in the fridge for an hour. I never do so I go right on to the next step:

Roll out your dough of choice to a thin-crust pizza-like thickness (aka-thin, but thick enough to not fall apart with filling.) and make empanadas of desired size. I cut the dough into about the size of a CD and fill with about a clementine's worth of dough.

Then a press the edges together well and brush tops with an egg wash.

Put all empanadas on sheet (this may take 2 batches or more.) And cook until dough is lightly browned, about 12 minutes in my oven. Some recipes call for deep frying the empanadas, which you are welcome to do, but I prefer them non-greasy and baked.

Serve with some gazpacho and sangria! Bon Appetit!

HOMEMADE WHOLE WHEAT EMPANADA DOUGH

(yeast-FREE, so delicious and fast!)

from Gil Marks

1/4 vegetable oil (canola)

1 stick butter, melted

1/4 lukewarm water

2.5 tsp distilled white vinegar

1 tsp salt.

1.5 cups white whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

In a medium bowl beat together the oil, butter, water, vinegar and salt. Gradually work in enough flour to make a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (I usually do the recipe as written and then need to add a Tbsp or two of water.) Don't overwork. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 1 day.

Mood boosting photo op

I've been having a difficult time balancing my double life of late. So many work opportunities in NYC I am missing because I'm starting to commit to life here in Midwestia.

I'm singing a lead role in THE MAGIC FLUTE with a local opera company and that combined with the upcoming Passover holiday are making it really hard to plan a trip to NY. I'm seeing potential shoots in NY flit past me at lightening speed because I just can't be there to shoot them. It's really stressful. On the flip side, the Spring has sprung (for now) and the greenery is beginning to appear as well as the natural wildlife. And nature's beauty (and bounty-hellooooo farmer's market!) can have a nice calming effect when one is feeling stressed. So can lemons. I put up this giant photo of lemons because I took it last night and have found it calming to gaze at periodically during the day. So, peer and feel refreshed and calmed. And then make a lemon poppyseed cake :)

Check the blog tomorrow for my quick chicken empanadas-they are OUTSTANDING.

Green, for St. Patrick's Day

Yeah...so...(sheepishly digs into ground with toe) it's been a while...

I have been completely missing in action from the blogosphere for the last 3 weeks. I blame the city of New York-it is completely consuming to be there for a week. Upon my return we were blessed with a few really beautiful days in Midwestia...then a trip to visit my parents...and then just general lack of motivation, which is the real culprit.

However, in all of those excuses something wonderful happened:

Cilantro pesto.

Though obviously not a traditional Irish dish it's so green and fresh I think the Irish would really approve...at least, the Half-Irish Prof. Hubs approves, and that's the Irish vote to which I'm pandering.

I have been putting this stuff on everything. It's delicious on steak for a sort of Argentine preparation. It's gorgeous on seared sea scallops. It would work on chicken, fish, tofu, pasta...In fact, it's really quite wonderful on everthing. I invite you to prepare it and let me know how it works best in your opinion.

Last night I made it for professor hubs on perfectly seared sea scallops, whole wheat couscous, roasted asparagus, and a green salad. It was amazing. In fact, I can't get over how well the whole thing turned out.

CILANTRO PESTO

adapted from Gourmet

1 medium garlic clove

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh cilantro

1/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil

Juice from 1/2 a lime

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Put all of these things into a food processor and go to town until desired consistency-I like a saucy pesto, you may prefer slightly thicker.

Yum.

Put on everything savory. How GORGEOUS and GREEN is this stuff!!?!

SEARED SEA SCALLOPS

Sea scallops

Soy sauce

Sauvignon blanc (or other dry white wine)

If your scallops are 'wet' wash them dry well. If they are 'dry' skip the washing and drying step.

Put scallops in a large bowl, combine 1 part soy sauce:3 parts wine until scallops are covered. (With my 14 scallops this amounted to 1/4 cup soy, 3/4 cup wine.)

Allow to marinate for 20 minute-1 hour. When ready to sear, remove from marinade and make sure they are not dripping with excess liquid.

Heat a bit of butter and a bit of vegetable oil in a large sautée pan over high heat until it starts to sizzle.

Add a few scallops to the pan, making sure not to crowd them, which would steam them and not sear them (I cooked six scallops at a time, spaced well apart in a huge pan.)

DO NOT MOVE THEM FOR 2 MINUTES! After that point, turn them. You should sea a gorgeous brown crust. Cook for 1 minute on this side. Then remove from heat and place on serving dish as you do the next batch(es) until done. I add a smidge of butter for each new batch. To serve drizzle some cilantro pesto on top. They are PERFECTION.

How gorgeous are these!! (my new fancy schmancy lens doesn't hurt the photo, either...)

Just in case you are not a seafood person here's a look at the sauce in action on some slices of flatiron steak:

(this photo was taken with an old lens...look how much better the scallops look.)