Tofu Stir-Fry

Tofu. I’m not sure about you– but let’s just say this wasn’t my idea of “yum” just a few years back. Diets do interesting things to you, and this recent one has gotten me trying many new things. As children, my sisters and I would tease our mom when she had tofu. Well, I have had to literally eat my words, because I’ve grown to like it! I enjoy eating it in all sorts of things, but most especially I love it now in stir fry!

 

Besides the fact that tofu is very healthy for you, it leaves you with a light but satisfied feeling. You won’t feel overstuffed or bloated after you have this dish. Even my husband, who I was a littler nervous for, looked down at his plate asked if this was tofu, proceeded to take a bite and said “it’s good!”. 🙂

 

 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 carrot, sliced on diagonal

2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound broccoli crowns, cut into small florets

1/4 cup reduced- sodium vegetable broth

1 pound reduced-fat firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

8 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and caps thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, julienned

1 onion, sliced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons asian sesame oil

pinch red pepper flakes

 

 

Directions:

1. Heat nonstick wok or deep large nonstick skillet over high heat until drop of water sizzles in pan; add oil and swirl to coat pan. Add carrot and stir-fry 1 minute. Add ginger and garlic; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add broccoli and broth; cook, covered , 2 minutes

2. Add tofu, mushrooms, and bell peppers to wok; stir-fry until bell pepper is soft, about 3 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients; stir-fry 1 minute longer

 

 

*taken from Weight Watcher’s New Complete Cook book

 

Blueberry Pie

Some people have knacks for different things: a natural green thumb, the ability to see a design in their head, or maybe to be able to whip up any sort of pie on any occasion. Let’s just say my talents do not lie in the latter- or so I thought. Berry Pies have always been my great nemesis- I remember distinctly crying on several occasions over how awfully soupy it was or that I got the sugar ratio horridly wrong. For those of you who fear pies or berry pies at least (which I find the hardest kind), have no fear. This is a fail safe recipe! Why? because you get to cook the cornstarch BEFORE you hide it in the pie. There is no crossing your fingers and praying that your pie will not be runny, no more cringing as you cut into the first piece– you can confidently serve this pie to your best company!

So why you might ask did I decide to attempt a berry pie? Our first anniversary! I wanted to do something special as a dessert- what better for the man that should have “blueberry” as his middle name?! 😉

 

 

Filling:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 cups blueberries
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

 

Pastry:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 tablespoon vinegar
• Flour, for dusting
• Sugar, for sprinkling on top

 

 

Directions

Filling: Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and water. Add to a saucepan and heat rapidly until thickened. Set aside to cool as you prepare the pastry. Once cooled add the berries and lemon juice.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening. Whisk together egg, water and vinegar. Add to flour mixture tossing lightly with a fork. Turn out onto a lightly floured cutting board and using your hands combine dough. Separate into 2 single crusts. Line the bottom of a pie plate with 1 of the crusts.

Pour filling into dough lined pie pan, and sprinkle the lemon juice over the filling. Adjust top crust, cut vents and flute rim. Sprinkle top lightly with sugar. Place pie onto a baking sheet and into the oven for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool, cut and enjoy!

 

 

 

*Taken from Food network’s website under “Country Blueberry Pie”

 

 

 

Chili Chicken and Potatoes

It has been quite a few months since I have blogged in any way about my food. Recently by the advice of some wise counselors, I was advised to not share recipes that were my own creation, but instead to save those in case I might like to publish them someday. Seeing as most of my cooking tends to be from my head or a derivation off of some recipe, this posed as a problem for my blog. 

Lately though, I have felt the itch to try new recipes and venture off in directions that are not “home base”. In doing so, I need to follow recipes since I am not yet comfortable with all of these spices or instinctively knowing which of these new flavor “colors” should go where. 

My husband and I have been frequenting more and more Indian restaurants as of late- and when these potatoes mentioned some fun spices- I got to thinking that this dish is “spicy” but more in the sense of an Indian “spicy” rather than a HOT spicy.

Chicken:

5-7 chicken drumsticks, bone in, skin removed

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (optional)

Place racks in middle and lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place rack in roasting pan; spray with nonstick spray. Spray 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

To make spice paste, stir together chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the garlic in a cup. Add enough water to form thick paste. Spread over the chicken.

Potatoes:

3 (10 ounce) baking potatoes, quartered lengthwise.

2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning

1 tsp of salt (or more to suit your taste)

Roast chicken on middle oven rack until instant-read thermometer inserted into drumsticks (not touching bone) registers 180 degrees F, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, put potatoes in prepared baking dish; lightly spray with nonstick spray and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and additional spices. After chicken has roasted 20 minutes, put potatoes on lower oven rack and roast, turning once or twice, until tender and lightly browned, about 40 minutes.