Archived entries for vegetarian

Vegetarian Refried Black Beans

I really believe this recipe would work great with ANY type of canned beans, I just happen to have a love for black beans lately. It’s also really quick, ready in 5 minutes, so you don’t have to stand around getting drunk on margaritas while waiting for dinner. I just said that because I’ve actually never consumed a margarita at home.

Vegetarian Refried Black Beans

2 tbsp canola oil
2 16-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp ancho chile powder
1/2 cup good cheddar, grated (my favorite is Beecher’s Flagship)
2 tsbp, or a good “splash”, of milk

Take a medium sized pot and put it on medium heat. I like to use an iron pot because its bottom has an almost non-stick surface after years of repeated use.
Add the oil to the pot once warmed, and then add all the beans.
Take a potato masher and start mashing all the beans. If beans start to stick to the bottom, add a little more oil.
Add the chili powder, mix in.
Add the cheese and milk, and mix around until all the cheese has melted and incorporated into the beans.
Cover with a lid, take off the heat, and get ready to assemble your burrito!

I always found the idea of any “deconstructed” menu item to be rather amusing. Examples could include deconstructed caesar salad and deconstructed tiramisu. The main premise is to take a menu item and highlight each of the individual ingredients to create a new, possibly more exciting version of the original.

This isn’t a post about my making anything officially deconstructed, except for making this simple observation: almost any entree or meal meant for an adult can be made more palatable for a little one if the components are separated. Toddlers and deconstructed anything makes happy kid. So here is a picture of Leila eating a burrito, decontructed. It just skips on the hot sauce and lettuce.

Black Sesame and Green Onion Tofu

I’ve always been such a fan of sesame seeds, whether sprinkled on bread, used in salad dressings to give a nice texture, or as the base product in such staples as tahini or halva. Yum. But black sesame seeds, that’s another story! Having never tried to use them in a home recipe before, I bought a small amount of seeds at World Spice Market in Pike Place Market.

Regarding preparing tofu at home: I was vegetarian for many years, and I want to share these two bits of knowledge I learned. First of all, if you want to make tofu extra sponge-like, freeze it first and then thaw it before marinating. It changes the texture so that it’s able to soak in flavors more. This is, of course, if that’s what you’re going for ;) Secondly, tofu on its own won’t really get a nice crunch. You can fry it until it’s dark brown, you’ll just have a very dry outside. Just apply a very light coating of cornstarch on the outside of the tofu. It’ll brown beautifully and will soak up more flavor from whatever you’re frying it in!

Black Sesame and Green Onion Tofu

1 package firm tofu
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp tonkatsu sauce
4 green onions
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
1/4 cup cornstarch

Cut the tofu into approximately 1×2 inch cubes.
Mix together soy sauce, sesame oil, and tonkatsu sauce and pour over tofu in a bowl. Let marinate 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop the bottom half of the green onions into small slivers.
Spread the cornstarch on a plate, and lightly coat the tofu pieces with the cornstarch.
Heat up a pan on high heat with a little canola oil. Place the tofu in the pan, and fry until medium brown and crispy. Turn individually to brown other side.

Garnish with black sesame seeds, green onions, and a quick dash of tonkatsu sauce.

Goes great with vegetables and rice also mixed with the sesame seeds!

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