The Meat Lover's Meatless Cookbook - Kim O'Donnel [47]
Add ¼ teaspoon of the salt, taste, then add the remaining salt if needed.
Makes 1½ cups
PISTACHIO-RAISIN RICE PILAF
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup unsalted shelled
pistachios
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
or butter
½ cup diced onion
1 cup uncooked basmati rice
1¾ cups water
1 cinnamon stick
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup raisins (golden raisins are
prettier, but Thompson raisins
do the job just fine)
HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:
Place the pistachios in a dry skillet over medium heat and toast for about 90 seconds, keeping a close eye to make sure they don’t burn. This can also be done on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes.
Let the pistachios cool, then chop coarsely.
In a medium-size saucepan with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the rice and stir to coat with the onions and oil. Toast for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant and translucent. Add the water, cinnamon stick, and salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low, cover, and cook for 12 minutes, without lifting the lid.
Lift the lid and sprinkle the raisins on top of the rice, allowing the steam to plump them up. Return the lid and allow the rice to rest for 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in the nuts, as well as raisins, and serve hot.
Makes 4 side-dish servings
Pepita- Crusted Tofu ★ Dino-Mash
PEPITA-CRUSTED TOFU KIDDO
Although a high-protein flavor chameleon, tofu is typically a hard sell with the meat set. I’d be lying if I told you it tastes like chicken, and its squishy marshmallow-like texture takes some time getting used to. But a meatless cookbook without tofu? That just didn’t seem right.
As a culinary writing fellow at the Writer’s Colony at Dairy Hollow in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, I dreamed up this dish with the tofu-reticent in mind. The magic flavor element is a pumpkin-seed pesto seasoned with garlic and cilantro, an irresistible combo that delivers both herby tang and nutty richness. As for the texture kinks, the tofu is sliced into thin “cutlets,” which facilitate a toothy crust when baked in the oven. The result: the “most chickeny” tofu that did ever pass my lips.
Do try it with the Dino-Mash, my take on colcannon, the classic Irish mashed potato and cabbage dish, updated with Lacinato (a.k.a. Dinosaur) kale.
KITCHEN NOTES: The first thing you should do is roast the garlic for the Dino-Mash, as it will take 50 minutes.
INGREDIENTS
1 (14-ounce) package fresh
extra-firm tofu, preferably
organic
1½ cups raw, unsalted pepitas
2 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled
¾ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
roughly
¾ teaspoon salt
½ fresh chile pepper of your
choice, seeded and chopped
roughly (I like things on hot
side, so I use ¼ habanero)
⅓ cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Cornstarch, for dredging
Vegetable oil, for brushing
HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:
Drain the tofu: Remove from the package and place on a dinner plate. Place a second plate on top of the tofu and weigh it down with a something heavy, such as a can of food. Allow to sit for about 20 minutes. (While the tofu drains, you can make the pesto.)
In the bowl of a food processor or wide-mouthed blender, place the pepitas. Pulverize, using the “pulse” button. Do not puree into a paste; you’re looking for texture.
Add the garlic, cilantro, salt, and chile pepper, and continue to process, using the “pulse” function.
Taste and smile. This stuff is really good, and if you’re not careful, you could end up eating it all and forget about the tofu. Transfer to a shallow mixing bowl.
With a sharp (serrated is even better) knife, cut the tofu into ½-inch cutlet-like slabs. (You should get eight to ten pieces.) Transfer to a dish deep and wide enough to accommodate all the slabs in a single layer.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Pour