Carlos' Tofu Stir Fry

Okay, this is my first attempt at making asian food, on the fly.  I was at Whole Foods market last Saturday after a great  60 mi ride and was famished.  This little lady behind an electric skillet was cooking "Tofu Steak" tofu.  I sampled the cajun tofu and fell in love with its spicy flavor and firm texture.  She strictly instructed me to brown the tofu first in a skillet and then add the soy and teriyaki sauce.  However, when I cooked this dish I sweated the carrots and celery first, and then added the tofu.  Needless to say, the tofu never browned and somewhat crumbled, but still tasty. When making this, I would brown the cut tofu first until somewhat crusty, remove from pan, cook the veggies and return tofu back to pan.

Ingredients:

2 carrots, julienned

1 celery

2 slices of ginger, cut into quarter inch strips

3 garlic cloves minced

hand full of snow peas

Tofu Steak - cajun

soy sauce

teriyaki sauce

cooked asian noodles

Preparation:

Start by cooking cut tofu in non-stick skillet until edges are browned and firm. Remove from pan.  Saute carrot & celery in canola oil for 3-4 minutes.  Dash with soy sauce. Add garlic, ginger and saute for 2-3 minutes more.  Add the snow peas and tofu. Add the teriyaki sauce to your liking and serve with noodles (pre-tossed with teriyaki sauce).  Enjoy.

Spaghetti a la Bolognese

Made this dish today and it's really good and very simple to prepare.  Using pancetta, mushrooms, and aromatics really gave the sauce a rich flavor without using the typical beef.  Hope you like it.

Ingredients:

1 large sweet onion, diced

6oz pancetta

1 carrot, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

6oz of mushrooms

italian seasoning

1lb of ground turkey (italian flavored)

24oz can san marzano tomatoes

1/2 cup red wine (I used sangiovese)

spaghetti

2-3 tbsp tomato paste

Saute onions in olive oil. Add salt & pepper - sweat onions until translucent.   Add carrots, celery, garlic, mushrooms, pancetta, & desired italian seasoning - saute 3-4 minutes.  Add turkey and break up into tiny pieces.  When turkey is fully cooked, add wine and tomatoes and simmer for 30 - 45 minutes.  Taste test for flavor and adjust. Add tomato paste for desired consistency.  Serve with pasta and parmesan cheese.

Corn Cheddar Chowder with Turkey

This is sooo flavorful & good.  It's slightly spicy, smooth, and filling at the same time.  I used left over turkey and only took less than 30ish minutes to make. Directions: render 1/4 cup pancetta (or two bacon slices) in pot until crisp; remove & save bacon.  Saute following in remaining fat: 1/2 onion, 1 red pepper, 1 carrot, 2 celery stalks all chopped with 2 cloves minced garlic.  Salt, pepper, and season with 1 tsp of Italian spices.  When onion translucent,   add 1.5 cups chopped red potatoes, 1 lb shredded turkey, and 5-6 cups of low-sodium chicken stock. bring to simmer until potatoes tender.  Stir in 2.25 cups of frozen corn.  In bowl mix 1 cup flour with 2 cups low fat milk with wisk and add to pot.  Bring to boil until thickened - about 10-15 min.  Add cup of cheddar cheese.  Ladle in bowls topped with green onion, crispy pancetta or other bacon, and corn chips if desired.

The soup was well complimented with a unique German beer I got at BevMo.

It's 50% Steigl-Beer and 50% Lemon soda - Light and easy to drink. Flavor enhanced with an orange slice.

Moroccan Chicken Stew with Chipotle Cheese Panini

Trying to eat better for the century in Solvang this Saturday: onion,  1 tsp garam marsal, 6cp chicken stock, 14.5 oz diced tomatoes, 2x15oz chickpeas drained, 2 zuchini cubed, 3/4 cup couscous, 1 rousterie chicken shredded seasoned with 1tsp cumin, avocado diced for garnish.