Quick Tofu Green Curry

The fever finally broke last evening, leaving me with a seriously stuffy head and a congested chest. Not so fun, but a major improvement from the sweats and chills (gross). I couldn’t breathe very well, and I wanted something really spicy to clear out my sinuses.

I had been craving Pad Thai in the afternoon and was contemplating ordering some from the place on my corner, but the reviews on the place were very mixed and it seemed that the Pad Thai was not so good. After eating only my leftover tomato soup for lunch, I was seriously starving and needed something tasty and spicy – and quick. I rummaged in the fridge and freezer and found that I had everything I needed to make a Thai green curry, and so I did just that. It was better than what I presume the Pad Thai would have tasted like, and it helped me breathe easy, if only for a little while.

Pumpkin and Tofu Red Curry

I can’t believe it’s mid-November and I haven’t made anything with pumpkin yet. I absolutely adore pumpkin and all my friends know it, too – one of them joked that I was going to make every course of my Thanksgiving dinner contain pumpkin…for the record, I’m not. In my defense, I didn’t have much desire to cook last week, and I was away for the weekend, so I haven’t really been in the kitchen very much this month. But you can be sure that there will be lots of pumpkin recipes coming your way the next few weeks and months.

Here’s the first of them – it’s a really quick and easy Thai red curry that tastes just like a pumpkin curry I got at one of my favorite Thai places in NYC. 

Ginger-Soy Noodles with Tofu and Red Peppers

I’m leaving for a 10-day vacation to the UK on Thursday, so I’m in the process of clearing out my fridge. Which means that my dinners have consisted of random food items that I have unearthed from my pantry and fridge (nachos, pita chips, and pizza bagels, anyone?). I don’t have the audacity to pretend like any of those things are worthy of this space, so I'm putting up a few things that I made a while back but never got around to posting. 

This one is for my friend Meg - I made this for her one afternoon when we were having a marathon viewing session of The Wire. It’s incredibly easy to make and is way better than cold takeout sesame noodles.

Ginger-Soy Noodles with Tofu and Red Peppers
(serves 2)

7-8 oz. firm tofu
2 tablespoons ginger-soy sauce (I really like Whole Foods’ 365 Organic brand)

4 oz lo mein noodles or thin spaghetti

1/3 cup water
1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter (I prefer chunky or natural for their texture)
3 tablespoons ginger-soy sauce
¼ - ½ teaspoon sriracha sauce (depending on how spicy you like your food)

½ large red pepper (cut in half lengthwise)
2-3 large scallions
1 small or ½ large cucumber

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (optional)

***************

Cut the tofu into approximately ¾” cubes. Toss with 2 tablespoons of sauce and microwave on high power for 5 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, cut the pepper half into ¼” by 1 ½” strips, chop the scallion, and peel, seed, and chop the cucumber into ½” chunks.

Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and run under cold running water, then return them to the pot.

Add the tofu to the noodles in the pot. In the bowl in which you cooked the tofu, add the water and peanut butter, stir to combine, and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Stir well, then add the ginger-soy and sriracha sauces. Add the sauce and sliced vegetables to the pot, and toss well to combine.

Top with cilantro and serve warm or at room temperature.

Marinated Tofu and Cucumber Skewers

These were also on the menu at my cocktail party last week. I stole the idea and flavors for these from the macadamia-crusted marinated tofu and coconut-coriander rice I made a while back. They require prior planning, but doesn't any good cocktail party require planning? They’re really easy to make, and, to my surprise, were devoured by everyone – carnivores and tofu-haters included.

Tropical Dinner Part 1: Macadamia-Crusted Marinated Tofu

Last week, I went all out and made a snazzy tropical-ish dinner, complete with pre-dinner cocktail, three sides, and dessert. Every day this week I'll be posting each of the items from that menu. With the exception of the dessert, everything is really easy to make. And everything is absolutely delicious - I have to say that I was really surprised at how great everything came out!