Cooking San Francisco

Tofu Baked in Soy, Ginger and Honey Sauce

We have (or least one of us has) historically been a little wary of tofu. The wobbly texture and subtle taste never seemed particularly enticing. But, years pass, cholesterol levels rise, and it's time to try new things. The sauce in this recipe is so simple to make and adds so much of flavor to the tofu that even the skeptics in our families were convinced that tofu is a perfectly reputable and delicious dinner option. We served it with nutty brown rice and crisp sugar snap peas, tossed with toasted sesame oil. (We always have pre-cooked brown rice in the cupboard since we often fail to account for the requisite 45 minutes needed to cook the rice ourselves). If you are looking for another great introductory tofu dish that you don't have to make yourself, try the Shitake Spring Rolls found at our local organic cafe The Plant.

1 firm tofu cake (12oz)
1 Tbsp +2 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp dark sesame oil
2 tsp freshly grated ginger root
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp honey

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

 

2. Remove tofu from packaging and place in shallow bowl. Place a plate on top of the tofu and put something heavy on top of the plate, like a large can of tomatoes. Let sit for at least 15 minutes, or until most of the moisture has been released.

3. Meanwhile blend the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl.

4. Slice tofu into 12 pieces. Arrange tofu in small baking dish and cover with sauce.

5. Bake for 35 minutes, turning once, until tofu is hot and nicely browned.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Chopped Chicken Salad

Here in the City, while we don't always get to enjoy the hot, dry weather of the surrounding farm areas, we certainly do enjoy their bounty at our farmer's markets and local stores. This salad is particularly exuberant in late summer and early fall, when nearly all the ingredients are in season and available locally. We love the cool crunchiness of the cucumber, onions and corn as they meld with the creaminess of the avocado and tomatoes. Lemon is an essential ingredient. We've written the recipe using lemon juice, but we also tried it with a lemon champagne vinegar which is lovely as well. As you can imagine, this salad scales very well and is ripe for variations and substitutions. If you'd like to make the salad ahead of serving, you can chop everything except the avocados and tomatoes and store in separate containers in the refrigerator.

1/2 English cucumber, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 heirloom tomato, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cob of corn, cooked, or 3/4 cup of frozen corn, defrosted
1/8 medium red onion chopped in 1/2 inch cubes
1 avocado, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes
1 chicken breast, cooked
juice of 1 large lemon
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp fresh basil, julienned

 

 

1. Layer all ingredients on a large plate or small platter.

2. Drizzle salad with lemon juice and olive oil to taste. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lightly toss and serve.

Serves 2

Total Prep Time: About 15 min

Strawberry and Brown Sugar Yogurt Pops

We finished off our tasty Sonoma weekend meal with cool and not-too-sweet yogurt pops. We tried two different recipes with two different fruits and two different types of yogurt. As you might expect, the strawberry pop using greek yogurt and a higher dairy to fruit ratio produced a pop that was thicker and creamier than the fruitier peach pops (click here to see the recipe). Our tasters loved both versions and you can easy substitute different types of fruit in either recipe. Raspberries, blackberries, cherries or nectarines would work especially well.

1/2 pound strawberries, hulled and halved
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 cups thick greek yogurt
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment: 8 frozen pop molds or 8 paper cups and 8 wooden popsicle sticks

Mash strawberries in a large bowl with a potato masher or a fork. Add sugar and lemon juice and stir to combine. Transfer mixture to a 12-inch nonstick skillet and bring to boil over medium heat, until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

In a blender combine yogurt, milk and vanilla.  Pour into a large spouted bowl, like an 8 cup liquid measure, and pour cooled strawberry mixture on top and stir to combine. Pour into popsicle molds or paper cups, making sure to leave at least _ inch clearance at the top to account for the expansion of the yogurt mixture as it freezes. Put molds in the freezer for 30 minutes. Insert popsicle sticks, then freeze until firm, about 12-24 hours.

Makes approximately 8 popsicles (quantity will vary according to the size of your popsicle molds or paper cups)

Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 12-24 hr

 

 

 

 

Peach Yogurt Pops

Take advantage of peach season with this very simple and refreshing alternative to store-purchased frozen yogurt popsicles. We used leftover peaches from our Grilled Peaches with Pecorino and Prosciutto appetizer served during our Sonoma weekend dinner.

3 ripe peaches (about 1 pound), peeled and chopped
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt

Equipment: 8 frozen pop molds or 8 paper cups, and 8 wooden popsicle sticks

Purée all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds or paper cups, making sure to leave at least 1/2 inch clearance at the top to account for the expansion of the yogurt mixture as it freezes. Put molds in the freezer for 30 minutes. Insert popsicle sticks, then freeze until firm, about 12-24 hours.

Makes approximately 8 pops (quantity will vary according to the size of your popsicle molds or paper cups)

Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 12-24 hrs

 

Grilled Leg of Lamb, Marinated in Red Wine, Mint and Rosemary

This lamb recipe from The New Basics by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins is the perfect weekend do-ahead, you can mix the simple marinade in the morning, go out spend the day with friends and family and come back to a beautifully marinated piece of meat ready to be seared over hot coals. It was a pleasure to do the prep for the marinade; the fragrant bouquet of chopped rosemary and mint, together with the grassy Sonoma air wafted in through the open door and filled the kitchen with an amazing herbal scent. Speaking of fragrant bouquets, we used local Rodney Strong Alden Vineyards 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon but any high quality red wine will do.

1 cup dry red wine
3/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 Tbsp slightly bruised fresh rosemary leaves
1 Tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 butterflied leg of lamb (4-5 lbs.), cut in two pieces

1. Combine the wine, soy sauce, garlic, mint, rosemary, and pepper in a 9 x 13 inch non-reactive baking dish, and mix well.  Place the lamb pieces in the dish and turn the meat over a few times so that the marinade covers all sides.  Cover baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, turning the lamb frequently.

2. Remove lamb from refrigerator and let sit a room temperature for up to an hour before grilling. Prepare either a charcoal grill or turn on gas grill to high.

3. Remove lamb pieces from the dish and allow the excess liquid to drain off. Do not discard the marinade.

4. Grill the lamb 4 inches above the hot coals, or over medium high, indirect heat on a gas grill (temperature should be around 450 degrees). Baste frequently with the marinade, and cook for about 20 minutes on each side. Check the lamb for doneness frequently after 30 minutes grilling. The internal temperature of the lamb should be 145 degrees for medium-rare and 160 degrees for medium.

5. Cut the lamb into very thin slices, and serve immediately.

Pasta with Sun-cooked Tomato Sauce

The pasta course for our Sonoma County weekend dinner was a simple sugo di pomodori fresco (i.e. uncooked tomato sauce) inspired by a recipe in The Best of Italy by Evie Righter. We quickly threw together the ingredients in the late morning, while the leg of lamb was marinating (more on that in the next post) and then let the Geyserville sun meld and enhance the flavors. This is a perfect dish to try in San Francisco in September, since during the summer the sun is hard to find behind all the fog. Tomatoes are still in season now, so if you run across some perfectly ripe tomatoes and bright, unblemished basil to use in this sauce, the results will be exceptional. Stay tuned for the main course of our country weekend dinner, Grilled Leg of Lamb, Marinated in Red Wine, Mint and Rosemary.

4 ripe heirloom tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup basil chopped
1 lb spaghetti, uncooked
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Gently combine tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper in a glass bowl or glass casserole dish with a cover. Drizzle olive oil over tomatoes. Place cover on bowl (or cover with plastic wrap) and put outside or in a sunny window for a few hours.

  

2. When ready to serve, boil 4 quarts of water and add 2 tsp of salt. When water is at a full boil add pasta and cook for 9-10 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain pasta and place in serving bowl. Pour tomato mixture on top of pasta and toss lightly. Serve immediately with Parmesan cheese on the side.

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time:  2 to 6 hours (for tomatoes) plus 10 minutes for spaghetti