Recipe: Wu Qi Tofu

Serves 3

This recipe was jointly inspired by my late grandfather (an avid drinker of Five Alive) and the fact that citrus is in season now. For those of you unfamiliar with Five Alive, it combines grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, and tangerine juices. When I was at the store yesterday, I already had a tangerine and a grapefruit at home, and I knew it was time to go nuts on this thing.

“Nuts” might be the best descriptor, because this recipe is fairly labor-intensive, especially if you (like me) don’t have a citrus reamer or a zester. It is, however, quite delicious. And if you like your martinis with a twist, it could wind up being a fun night at your house.

For the Sauce:
half a grapefruit, squeezed and “zested” (you can’t really zest a grapefruit; cut off some peel with a paring knife and then mince it)
half a lemon, squeezed and zested
half a lime, squeezed and zested
half an orange, squeezed and zested
half a tangerine, squeezed and zested
1 T cornstarch
2 T hoisin sauce
1 T vegetarian oyster sauce
1 T rice vinegar
2 t brown sugar
1 t citrus zests
a couple of pinches of red pepper flakes

For the Tofu:
1 lb firm tofu, drained and pressed
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
a 2-inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 T canola oil
half an onion, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 green bell pepper, trimmed and sliced
1 red bell pepper, trimmed and sliced
(or just substitute your favorite vegetables)

Making the Sauce:
Measure your citrus juices; if you don’t have ¾ of a cup, you can pad it out with water.
Put the cornstarch in a bowl and stir in the juice until well blended. Add the other ingredients, stir to mix, and set aside.

Making the Tofu:
Cut the tofu in your favorite shapes and saute in the oil until browned. Turn the heat down a little and add the ginger and garlic; saute for a couple of minutes. Add the onion and carrot and saute for a few minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low (3 out of 10) and add the peppers. Pour the sauce over the tofu and vegetables, sprinkle a few pinches of citrus over it, stir, and cook until the sauce has thickened.

Per serving:
Calories: 328
Protein: 11 g
Fiber: 2 g

Fruitbasket Turnover: Bananitos

I was having dinner with a friend the other night when the conversation turned to tropical fruit. Having compared notes on mangoes, mangosteens, cherimoyas, and other stuff, we started talking about threats to the Cavendish banana and then about the alternate varieties that might take its place. He told me about apple bananas, of which I had never heard before (I know; I live under a rock), and I vowed to check them out the next time I was at the DeKalb Farmer’s Market.

Lucky me, I didn’t even have to *leave the house*. A few days later, my friend showed up at my door holding a clutch of those little stubby bananas you see at the store. Having been told that they likely wouldn’t be ripe enough until the next day, I had to sit around and do other stuff to keep myself from breaking one open.

So, having had one today, I can tell you that they *do indeed* taste like apples. There’s a note of Granny Smith tartness and the associated esters when you first start eating one that then mellows into the flavor of a slightly-green banana.

Being as I like to eat my Cavendishes slightly green, I’ll definitely be looking out for bananitos on future grocery trips.

Recipe: Cauliflower White Bean Bisque

There wasn't any soup left to photograph, so you have to look at this canellini-bean-and-dill thing.

Serves 4

Note: I’m a pinches-and-dashes cook, so you’ll want to adjust the spices and such to your liking, as any prudent cook would do.

A few years ago, I was invited to a party that wasn’t at my house but for which I had to cook dinner anyway. It was cold outside, one of the guests was trying to lose weight, and I had to slap something together out of what I had around. Thus was born the cauliflower white bean bisque, which people seem to really enjoy whenever I bring it to a party.