General Tso Tofu

I don't often make Chinese food (as opposed to other kinds of Asian), because it is a bit of a hassle and because a lot of the dishes I like are deep fried. Once in a while, however, we do indulge in something like this: crispy battered tofu, in a rich sweet and spicy sauce. And as an added bonus, this version is gluten free.

The one important thing with this is to work quickly at the end and not to over-cook the tofu in the sauce, since you want it crispy rather than soggy. 

General Tso Tofu

Ingredients (for 3-4 portions): 

- 1 package (about 1 lb/500 grams) of tofu, firm or extra firm. 

- handful of snow peas or fresh broccoli (optional) 

- 5-6 dried chilies, sliced into several large pieces.

- 3 scallions (green onions), sliced 

- 3 eggs, beaten 

- 1/2 cup of cornstarch 

- oil for deep frying 

For the sauce: 

- 4 tbsp rice vinegar 

- 6 tbsp of sherry or white wine 

- 1/2 cup of sugar 

- 6 tbsp of soy sauce (I used gluten free Tamari) 

- 5 tbsp cornstarch 

Preparation: 

1. Prepare the sauce: put all of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and mix well. Or, ideally, put them in a small jar or plastic container with a lid, close tightly and shake to mix. Set aside. 

2. Cut the tofu into cubes. In a large bowl mix together the beaten eggs and the cornstarch until a smooth batter forms. Put the tofu into the batter and carefully toss to cover each piece of tofu. 

3. Heat a deep fryer to 375 or heat enough oil to deep fry in a wok or large pan. When the oil is hot, fry the tofu in small batches (do not over crowd it!) until it is a deep golden color and crispy. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.  

4. Heat one tbsp of oil in a wok or large pan. Add the chilies, the scallions and the snow peas or broccoli if you are using them. Stir fry for a minute on medium-high heat. Add the fried tofu and stir fry for another minute to reheat. 

5. Give the sauce another mix/shake (as parts of it will settle) and then add it to the wok, stirring as you do. It's important to stir because the sauce will quickly become gooey and sticky rather than liquid, so you want to make sure your tofu pieces are coated. Note that there won't be a lot of "extra" sauce. The sauce will basically cover the tofu and stick to it. Don't over cook, as you want the tofu to stay crispy and not go soggy. 

Serve with steamed rice. Enjoy!

Rice with chickpeas and crispy potatoes

When it comes out perfectly, this recipe yields a layer of thin, crispy potatoes, topped by a delicious mixture of rice, chickpeas and onions. But even if the potatoes don't come out perfectly crispy, this recipe is still great. Serve it with some salad on the side and you have a complete meal.

It's really best to make this recipe with dried chickpeas that you cook at home, but canned will also do in a pinch. 

Rice with Chickpeas and Crispy Potatoes

Ingredients (for 4-6 portions): 

- 1 large potato, sliced into thin slices

- 1-2 tbsp of canola oil 

- 1 large onion, finely chopped

- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or minced 

- 1-2 tsp olive oil 

- 1-2 cups of cooked chickpeas (or canned) 

- 2 cups of rice 

- 4 cups of water 

- salt and pepper

Preparation: 

1) Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, and fry the onion and garlic until they are lightly golden.  Set aside.

2) Put the canola oil in a medium pot (one that has a lid) and layer the bottom of the pot with the potato slices. Don't worry if the potatoes overlap. Place the pot on a medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes begin to crisp up around the edges. 

3) Add the rice, fried onions and garlic and the chickpeas to the pot and very gently stir them (you want the chickpeas to be interspersed within the rice, but not to move the potatoes at the bottom of the pan). Add the water, season with salt and pepper, and cover. 

4) Lower the heat to medium low, and cook until the rice is completely cooked and all the water has been absorbed, about 20-30 minutes. Then continue cooking a while longer, until the rice that is touching the side of the pan begins to be golden and a bit crispy. Be careful not to burn the dish! 

5) Remove from heat.  Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary. When serving, make sure that each diner gets some of the potatoes from the bottom of the pan as well as a mixture of rice, onions and chickpeas.

Basics: Preparing Chickpeas

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are really great for a lot of things, but preparing dried chickpeas for use takes a long time. I always make a large quantity of chickpeas and then freeze them in small batches, which I defrost as needed.

I just prepared some last week so there will probably be a few chickpea recipes here in the near future. You can use canned chickpeas in these recipes, but dried beans taste much much better than canned, so it's worthwhile doing this.

Preparation: 

Take 1-2 pounds (0.5-1 kilos) of chickpeas (smaller chickpeas are better, if you can get them) and put them in a large bowl with plenty of water and about 1 tsp of baking soda (the latter is optional). Soak them overnight in the water, but make sure they are covered in plenty of water before you go to bed.
Drain the chickpeas and wash them. Then place them in a large pot and cover with plenty of water.

Bring to a boil. You will likely get little "clouds" of foam. Clear them out of the way using a slotted spoon. Lower the heat and cook on a simmer for about 1.5 - 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding water as necessary, until the chickpeas are quite soft and the water is a muddy color. Salt the chickpeas and taste to make sure they are seasoned. Turn off the heat and allow the chickpeas to cool in the leftover water.

When the chickpeas are cooled, place between 1-2 cups of cooked chickpeas into each container (freezer safe plastic containers are good), and put the containers in the freezer.

When you want to use the chickpeas, simply take out a container and defrost it.

Polenta with a Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

This isn't really a proper "recipe" so much as a nice idea for a quick and satisfying lunch or dinner. The warm polenta is filling and hearty, while the salad adds flavor and freshness.

The trick to making this "quick and easy" is getting your hands on some packaged pre-cooked polenta, like this brand (but any brand will do). If you can't get prepared polenta then you'll have to work harder because you'll need to cook the polenta and then let it set for a while.

Polenta with a Tomato Mozzarella Salad

Ingredients (for 1-2 portions): 

- 1 package (18 oz, 500 grams) pre-cooked polenta, cut into thin slices. 

-  1 tbsp olive oil (optional if baking) 

- 2 tomatoes 

- 1/2 red onion 

- a handful of basil, finely chopped (or pesto sauce) 

- 1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar

- salt and pepper 

- 6-7 small balls of fresh mozzarella (Ciliegine) or a bit of regular fresh mozzarella. 

Preparation:

1. Prepare the polenta. There are two options for this: either heat the olive oil in a large pan and fry the polenta slices over medium-high heat, turning them in the middle, until it is warmed through and develops a bit of a crispy crust. The other is to put the slices on a baking tin in a hot oven or under the broiler (again, turning them) until they are warm and a bit crispy. 

2. While the polenta is cooking, prepare the salad. Finely dice the onion and the tomatoes, and combine them together in a bowl. Add the basil, season with salt and pepper and dress with balsamic vinegar. Mix the salad well. 

3. Place the cooked polenta pieces on a plate. Top with the salad. Tear the mozzarella balls into halves (or tear/cut small pieces of fresh mozzarella) and spread them throughout the salad. 

Enjoy!

Sesame-Honey Soba Noodles

Soba noodles are Japanese noodles made (entirely or partially) from buckwheat. I find that they have a wonderfully satisfying earthy flavor that pairs especially well with sesame. However, if you find the buckwheat flavor too dominant, or if you just have a hard time finding these noodles, you can use any other Asian noodle you like.

You can make this recipe with any vegetables you like. I wrote the ones I used, but you can make it with other veggies or even with nothing except the sauce and some chopped green onions.  You can also use tofu, seitan or eggs as the protein, or even just serve this is as a side dish with no protein.

A note for the gluten free: buckwheat is gluten free. However, most brands of soba noodles contain a mixture of buckwheat and wheat flour, and even some brands that are 100% buckwheat are processed on the same equipment as wheat. I used this brand, which is gluten free, but just be careful which brand you use.

Sesame-Honey Soba Noodles

 

Ingredients (for 2 generous portions or 3-4 smaller ones): 

- 1 package (8.8 oz, about 250 grams) uncooked soba noodles 

- stir fry vegetables of your choice. I used: 1/2 red onion, sliced; 1 bell pepper, sliced. 3 cloves of garlic, minced; a handful of snow peas, sliced. a handful of fresh baby corn, sliced. 

- 1-2 tbsp canola oil 

- 3 tbsp sesame seeds

- 150 grams tofu, seitan or omelet, cut into strips

For the Sauce: 

- 1/3 cup honey 

- 1 jalapeno pepper or other hot pepper, sliced

- 1 handful cilantro 

- 1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari 

- 2-3 tbsp sesame oil 

Preparation: 

1) Toast the sesame seeds: place a small frying pan over medium-high heat, add the sesame seeds and cook, stirring, until they are golden. Set aside. 

2) Cook the soba noodles according to the instructions on the package. Drain and wash with cold water to prevent sticking. 

3) Prepare the sauce: in a blender or food processor combine all of the sauce ingredients. If you like your sauce with a kick, leave the pepper as is. If you prefer a milder flavor, remove all or part of the seeds and "ribs" of the pepper before mixing it. Process to a fairly smooth sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of water to reach the desired consistency. 

4) Heat the oil in a large wok or pan. Add the tofu/seitan (if you are using eggs, add them at the end rather than now) and fry for a few minutes, while stirring, to color. Add the vegetables and stir fry for a few more minutes until they are just softened but still crisp. Add the noodles and stir to distribute the veggies among the noodles. Add the sauce and sesame seeds and continue stir frying until the noodles are heated through. Serve. 

Enjoy!