Easy vegetarian weeknight dinners: fried tofu with escarole, tomato soup with grilled cheese
1. Fried Tofu with escarole and white beans; Serves 2
Ingredients: one package of firm organic tofu (there is a Hudson Valley brand that I prefer); 1 1/2 heads of escarole; one (16 oz) can of drained, rinsed cannellini beans (you can of course use dried cannellini beans if you have the time to soak them); 2 cloves of garlic; canola oil; salt and pepper; 1 cup of all purpose flour; 1 cup of ice water; 2 Tbsp of cornstarch.
Fill a large stock pot with water and a little salt and let it come to a boil as you cook your tofu.
Slice up the square of tofu and drain the slices very well on paper towels. (If you skip this step they will never fry up nice and crispy!). Heat 2-3 inches of canola oil in a cast iron, or other heavy, deep skillet. If you have a thermometer, your oil is ready at 375 degrees. If you don’t have a thermometer, just drop a little water in the pan — it should sizzle and jump, but not go too crazy.
Combine the flour and cornstarch in a bowl with a generous pinch of salt. Whisk in the ice water (you do not have to whisk out all the lumps). Coat the tofu on all sides with this batter. Let the excess drip off and then VERY CAREFULLY drop the tofu into the hot oil. If the temperature of the oil seems to go down a lot, raise it a bit to keep the tofu frying nicely. It should only take 2 minutes on each side for the tofu to be nicely brown and crisp. Remove from the skillet and drain very well on paper towels. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper as it drains.
Meanwhile, cut out the core from your escarole and any yucky looking leaves and discard. Wash your escarole in a colander in the sink. Add the escarole to the boiling pot of water and let it boil (to remove the natural biter taste) about 5 minutes- be careful not to let it boil longer than this or it will lose its nice color and flavor. Drain it well. In a large, non-stick skillet, saute 2 crushed cloves of garlic (and, optional, add a few flakes of hot red pepper flakes) in 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 minute. Add in the escarole and the rinsed, drained, cannellini beans. Toss 4 minutes and season with a little salt and pepper.
Plate your escarole and beans with tongs onto a serving platter (squeezing the tongs a little as you plate to remove any excess liquid in the escarole) and top with the fried tofu. Vege-licious!
*Notes: The breading technique used above (flour, cornstarch, ice water) is a typical Tempura breading style that works well with virtually any vegetable. This dish can also be a carnivore crowd pleaser with a little grilled sausage or chorizo!
2. Tomato Soup with a grilled cheese sandwich; Serves 2
Ingredients: One thinly sliced onion, salt and pepper, 2 cloves of garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes, 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 of a carrot, 2 Tbsp tomato paste, 1 can (about 28 oz) whole tomatoes, 2 cups of veggie stock (preferably homemade but store-bought will be fine), 3 sage leaves, 2 Tbsp butter, 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup of grated mozzarella cheese, white Pullman bread (or any thick, country-style white bread), and a little grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese for garnishing.
For the soup: Saute the sliced onion in 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat, about 5 minutes (do not let it brown). Add a pinch of salt, 1/2 a carrot finely minced, 2 minced cloves of garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Saute for 10 minutes over medium-low heat. If the veggies start to dry out you can add a tablespoon of water or stock.
Add to the pot 2 Tbsp of tomato paste and stir with a wooden spoon for a minute or two. Add the canned tomatoes, the sage, and the stock. Turn the heat up to medium-high and boil. As soon as it boils, turn it back down and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes. Then remove and discard the sage leaves.
Puree the soup with an immersion blender if you have one. If you don’t, just puree it in batches in a regular blender (always remember to be extremely careful blending hot liquids and only fill your blender halfway!). Taste your soup and add salt and pepper to taste.
For the grilled cheese: Heat a nonstick skillet (large enough to hold 2 sandwiches at the same time) over medium heat. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in the skillet. Make 2 sandwiches with the mix of grated cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Carefully, so the cheese does not spill out, put both sandwiches in the skillet. Find something heavy and heat-proof that you can use the weigh down the sandwiches while they cook- for example a smaller skillet that you can just set on top of them. After 2 or 3 minutes, flip them over and weigh them down again as they brown on the other side. When golden brown on both sides, they’re done.
Pour your tomato soup into soup bowls and garnish with a little grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Serve alongside sandwiches for a delicious cold weather meal.
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