Tag: #2025

Tofu piccata

Posted on by initialfriend

Tofu piccata with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables

  • 1 block of extra or super firm tofu
  • 1-2 tsp salt or bouillon powder
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1-2 tbsp oil (for frying)
  • 2-4 tbsp capers, drained
  • 1 lemon, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or rough chopped
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 3/4 cup stock
  • 2oz died porcini mushrooms
  • cornstarch (optional)
  • salt and pepper, obvi

Cut the tofu into whatever shape you prefer, ideally a thin cut—I did biz card-sized “cutlets”. Sprinkle with salt or bouillon powder (believe me, tofu needs this), then coat with mixture of flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and garlic powder.

Heat nonstick pan and 1-2 tbsp of oil on medium heat. Fry tofu on both sides until golden brown, set aside.

With the heat still on, add half of the lemon slices and 2 tbsp of capers to the pan to caramelize. Once a little charred, add garlic and cook until fragrant. Then, add stock (or water) and dried mushrooms and allow it to reduce for a few minutes. Once reduced, drop heat to low and add in butter. You may need to add salt to balance the flavors at this point, so salt to taste.

If you would like a thicker sauce, make a slurry of 1 tbsp water to 2 tsp cornstarch and stir into the sauce. Crank the head back to medium and let it boil until it starts to thicken, shouldn’t take long.

Serve drizzled over crispy tofu cutlets with some fresh capers or just drink it from a cup!

New Years’ black-eyed pea soup

Posted on by initialfriend
New Years' Black-Eyed Pea Soup
New Years’ Black-Eyed Pea Soup
  • 1.5 cups dried black-eyed peas
  • 2 tbsp oil or butter
  • 1.5 cups chopped cabbage
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 celery stick, sliced
  • 2 carrot sticks, sliced
  • 5 dried porcini or shiitake mushrooms, rinsed in warm water
  • vegetable bouillon, enough to season 4 cups broth
  • 1 bunch of collard greens or kale, well washed, stemmed, and chopped

Pick through beans, add to pressure cooker with enough water to cover by at least two inches, and pressure cook on high for 13 minutes. Allow to release naturally while you prep the rest.

In a large pot over medium heat, add oil, cabbage, garlic, bay leaves, celery, carrot, and bouillon (no water yet**). Cook until fragrant and cabbage has become translucent (I like to brown it a little). Add dried mushrooms and four cups of water and bring to a boil.

Add chopped collard greens or kale, and simmer until greens have softened. Stir in the cooked and drained black-eyed peas and season with salt to taste. At this point, you can remove the bay leaves. Mushrooms should be edible by this point as well, but you can remove them if you’d like.

Serve with cornbread and wish for a good year!

** This is to caramelize/enhance the flavor of the bouillon, but if you only have prepared vegetable broth, add with the mushrooms after vegetables have cooked and turned translucent. Also this one from Edwards & Sons is literally the best.