Monday, August 30, 2010

Hoisin Tofu Skewers

"Can I have another piece of tofu, mom?" My almost-5 year old son uttered these words last night. (After having already devoured a real meat cheeseburger, so it's not like I had to starve him to get him to try it.) So I think it goes without saying that this is a good recipe. It's adapted from a hoisin salmon skewer recipe that was part of the "50 Kebabs" insert in the July/August 2010 Food Network magazine. Lately, when we're not in a hurry, my husband has been firing up the charcoal grill, which is what I used for these last night, and really, they were twice as good as they had been on the gas grill. Absolutely delicious.

The first time we made these, my son did the skewering. He decided that it was the second slimiest thing he had ever done, #1 being scooping the guts out of a pumpkin. He cracks me up. But I guess slimy doesn't equal bad to a kid, because he wanted to do the skewering again this time.

1 block tofu
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon each of:
- soy sauce
- rice vinegar
- honey
- olive oil

1. Put the tofu in between two plates and weigh it down with cans (or anything heavy) for a little while...say, 45 minutes...just to get it good and squeezed out.
2. Meanwhile, combine the other ingredients.
3. Slice the tofu: I sliced it 3 by 2 and then through the middle, for 12 pieces which fit nicely on 3 skewers.
4. Combine with the marinade. I don't know if you need to let it sit or not, but if you have some time, let it marinate for a while. (Note: I had some extra marinade, you might be able to use 2 blocks of tofu, or throw in a few veggies.)
5. Skewer it lengthwise (if using wooden skewers, soak them in water for like a half hour) and grill until it's golden and just a little bit crispy.

Serve with brown rice and a salad. You'll feel so nice and healthy after this meal. :) It would probably also go great with the grilled green beans that I posted last summer.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Orange Chocolate Iced Brownies

I’m posting this recipe at the request of several coworkers. (And I use the term “recipe” loosely since much of this comes from a box.) Yesterday was my birthday, and to ease the pain I brought into work some brownies based one of my most absolute favorite flavor combinations: orange & chocolate. I think this love developed when I lived in England when I was twelve. Terry’s Chocolate Oranges may not have been available in the U.S. back then, but I remember my parents always bringing one along as our lunch treat when we would go on weekend sightseeing excursions…yum…

Maybe someday I’ll start making brownies from scratch, but at this point in my life, the convenience and cost of a box can’t be beat. :)

BROWNIES

“Family-size” box dark chocolate brownie mix
1 teaspoon orange zest (about one orange worth)
1 teaspoon orange extract

1. Follow the instructions for “fudge-like” consistency, add the orange ingredients, and bake in a 9x13 pan.
2. Let the brownies cool a bit before adding the icing.

ICING

1¼ cups sugar
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons half & half
1 cup (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon orange extract

1. Combine sugar, butter, and milk in small saucepan.
2. Cook and stir until boiling.
3. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Remove from heat, stir in orange extract and chocolate chips until melted.
5. Pour over brownies immediately. Cool thoroughly before cutting
.