What We Eat When We Eat Alone - Deborah Madison [7]
Bachelor Tofu Sandwich with Fixings
Here’s a fast meaty sandwich or two for a vegetarian. Generally it’s easier to have leftover cooked tofu than half a piece floating in its carton, but in this case, it’s such a snap to cook the tofu, you might as well leave any extra in the carton-covered with cold water. Try not to forget about it, and use it within a few days.
1⁄2 CARTON FIRM TOFU, DRAINED OIL FOR THE PAN
SPLASH OF WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
SALT AND PEPPER
TOAST FOR 1 OR 2 SANDWICHES
MUSTARD, HORSERADISH, AND MAYONNAISE
TOMATOES IN SEASON, SLICED
SAUERKRAUT
1. Slice the tofu crosswise into 4 pieces, each about 1⁄2 inch thick. Blot well with paper towels.
2. Heat an 8- or 10-inch cast-iron or nonstick skillet. Brush it with oil and add the tofu. Cook over medium-high heat until golden, about 6 minutes on each side. Douse with Worcestershire sauce, turn the tofu once, and continue cooking until the tofu is glazed and the sauce has evaporated. Season with salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper.
3. Make the toast. Slather it with mustard, horseradish, and mayonnaise, add the tofu and sliced tomato, cut the sandwich in half, and serve with a mound of sauerkraut on the side.
Steamed Kale with Sesame Oil and Rice Wine Vinegar
It’s the dark roasted sesame oil and delicate vinegar that makes this kale so very good.
Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the kale, or season with or gomashio (a Japanese condiment of toasted ground sesame seeds and salt) before serving.
1 BUNCH CURLY GREEN KALE
2 TO 3 TEASPOONS DARK SESAME OIL, TO TASTE
2 TEASPOONS RICE WINE VINEGAR, TO TASTE
SALT
RED PEPPER FLAKES
TOASTED SESAME SEEDS* OR GOMASHIO
1. Slice or pull the kale leaves off of the stems. Throw the stems away, as they will never become tender, and then wash the leaves. Steam the kale over boiling water until it is tender, about 12 minutes. Take a taste to make sure and then dump the cooked kale into a bowl.
2. Toss the kale with sesame oil and vinegar to taste, then season with salt and a few pinches of red pepper flakes. Toss again with a teaspoon or two of toasted sesame seeds, or serve with gomashio.
*To toast sesame seeds, put them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Once the pan becomes hot, start stirring or flipping the sesame seeds until they become golden, then remove from heat and turn them onto a plate immediately so that they don’t keep cooking in the heat of the pan.
*To toast sesame seeds, put them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Once the pan becomes hot, start stirring or flipping the sesame seeds until they become golden, then remove from heat and turn them onto a plate immediately so that they don’t keep cooking in the heat of the pan.
Frito Pie New Mexican Style
There’s the canned chili con carne poured into the bag of Fritos, the Frito pie with its Hormel beans and Frank’s RedHot, then there’s this New Mexican version, which consists of pure red chile, local beef, pinto beans, Fritos, and a salady topping. Except for the Fritos, this is actually a pretty healthful meal (and tortilla chips make a fine replacement for Fritos). It also makes people smile.
It is not, however, an instant meal, because you’ve got to cook the beans (unless they’re canned), the chiles, and the meat. But once these parts are finished, you can assemble a pie in pretty much no time at all.
This recipe is scaled down to make two large portions, but you should know that this makes a great dish for a crowd. Judge the garnishes by eye and heat as many beans as you want to eat. For a meatless version, replace the beef with sautéed zucchini and corn, or just season the cooked beans with the red chile and let it go at that.
By the way, “chile” refers to the red chile sauce. Add the meat, and you have “chili,” the dish.
3 OR 4 LONG RED NEW MEXICAN