Soon Dou Bu (Korean Tofu Stew)

I shouldn't have to prove to you my undying love for tofu or soup at this point. This dish is my go to Korean order and is typically served with seafood. What makes it delectable is the extra soft tofu, the poached egg,
and the spicy broth that makes your taste buds sing. My version is plainer and you can add your own protein or perhaps some radish or greens to make it your own. I've used seaweed to bolster my veggie stock but chicken broth is just as fantastic.


Soon Dou Bu (Korean Tofu Stew)
Serves 6

1 1/2 cups rehydrated seaweed sliced into ribbons
3 ribs celery, sliced thinly
6 cloves garlic
4 coins ginger
1/4 napa cabbage, sliced into ribbons
1 carrot, in coins
1.5 tbsp spicy red pepper paste
2 tubes extra soft tofu
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg per person (get the freshest eggs for poached)

Topping:
2 scallions, chopped
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp sesame oil

1. Boil a pot of water. Use a cup of the boiled water to hydrate the seaweed (reserve the excess water for the stock, but strain first through a paper towel.)
2. Meanwhile prep all veggies as specified.
3. In a large pot, heat a teaspoon of olive or vegetable oil. Turn the heat to medium low and add ginger. Add the garlic and the red pepper paste and heat until fragrant.
4. Add the vegetables and sweat for 5 minutes until softened.
5. Add the boiling water to cover, then add the tofu. Simmer for 15- 30 min.
6. For the topping, mix all ingredients into a small bowl.
7. To serve, scoop the stew into a bowl. Crack the egg into the center, top with scallions and sesame, and wait a minute before enjoying. Serve a bowl of white rice on the side.

Mushroom Stuffed Eggplant

While shopping this weekend, I came upon these mini Italian eggplants for sale. I instantly thought how perfect they would be for a single serving. Even better, what if stuffed it full of delicious things? How adorable and delicious would that be? So that was that!

Now picking the right eggplant is tough. Many people don't like eggplant because once it develops seeds, it becomes bitter. Size doesn't correlate to age, however, so picking smaller eggplants may not necessarily give you younger eggplants. When you pick the Italian kind of eggplant, you want a nice and shiny skin, as blemish free as possible. It should be firm and just a bit soft, but not soft enough to leave imprints or bruises. For Chinese eggplant, (the long and thin variety), a glossy skin, few blemishes, and thin shape work best. The larger it is, the more likely you'll have seeds. Hopefully that helps you!

On to the recipe!

Mushroom Stuffed Eggplant
Serves 6

3 eggplants about the size of your hand, or a bit smaller
1 pound ground pork
1 medium onion, small diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 plum tomatoes, small diced
1 pack baby bella mushrooms, diced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
1 teaspoon salt
shredded mozzarella cheese to top (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Wash and prep the eggplant. Cut off the stem portion, trying to leave as much flesh as possible. Then slice the eggplant lengthwise in half. Using a paring knife and a spoon, scoop out the flesh of the eggplant, leaving 1/3rd of an inch around the edges to help the eggplant keep its shape.
3. Coat the bottom of a large glass baking dish with olive oil. Place the hollowed eggplant in the dish, cut side up. Brush the insides of the eggplant with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool after 30 minutes so they're safe to handle, but keep the oven running.
4. In the meantime, diced the scooped out eggplant, onions, tomatoes, and mushrooms, and mince the garlic.
5. In a large pot, heat a teaspoon of olive oil and coat the posts bottom and sides. 
6. Cook and crumble the ground pork. If you render a lot of fat, pour it out.
7. When the pork is cooked, turn the heat to medium and add the onion and garlic. Cook until fragrant and the water from the onions deglazes the bottom of the pan. 
8. Return the heat to medium high and add the diced eggplant, tomatoes and mushroom. Also add all the spices. Cook uncovered so that all the water has a chance to evaporate. The majority of the vegetables will shrink in size, so don't flip out if you have too much.
9. When the stuffing is mushy, but mostly dry, stuff the eggplants. You will probably need about four tablespoons of stuffing per eggplant. (Excess stuffing can be served over rice or used to stuff other yummy things.)
10. Top with cheese. (Crushed nuts would also be a yummy topping!) Bake at 400 for about 15-20 minutes to set the dish.
11. Allow to cool before serving. Enjoy!

Ricotta Zucchini Squash Pasta

Ricotta is a perfect summer sauce. Its cool and light compared to cream sauces and a little goes a long way to make a dish sing.

I julienned fresh early summer squash and red pepper with some fettucini. The vegetables lend well to the pasta and the fettucine held the sauce better than I expected. The leftovers tended to be a little mushy, but still tasty.

Ricotta Zucchini Pasta
Serves 6

1 pack fettucini
5 small zucchini squash
1 red pepper
1 tablespoon roasted garlic
1 pinch chili flakes
2 cups ricotta cheese
Fresh basil or cilantro (optional)

1. Prepare pasta according to package. Cook al dente, as we'll be finishing it with the sauce. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
2. Wash and slice the vegetables into julienne. Basically 2 to 3 inch long match stick sized. (Match the shape of your veggies to the type/size off your pasta. Elbow pasta would be matched with diced veggies for example)
3. Heat a large pot with a tablespoon of olive oil. Turn the heat to low and add the garlic and chili flakes. Cook until fragrant.
4. Add the vegetables and cook until wilted. Add the ricotta and mix to incorporate. Add salt to taste.
5. Add the pasta and toss to coat.
6. Serve and garnish with herbs of choice! Leftovers are good at room temperature or hot.

Ricotta Egg Souffle "Muffins"

I'm pleased to report that I have been much better about my breakfast routine over the last few months. The nut mixes went over well and I enjoyed experimenting with various kinds of muffins. But too much of a good thing leads to bad things, and I needed a change. The muffins were low fat and flavorful, but had more sugar than protein (there are only so many almonds I can cram into a muffin cup). And as the food gurus will tell you, protein is the way to start the day.

Most people do something with eggs for breakfast. There are only a few ways I like eating eggs and unfortunately a poached egg is not a portable food. So when I came across a South Beach Diet forum post about ricotta egg muffins, I was intrigued. I have a lot of ricotta and eggs in the fridge, so this would be a good fit for me. The forum gave directions for a sweet version but a later poster said the savory was the way to go. On top of it, the recipe was super simple.

I decided to experiment and made two kinds. One strawberry cheesecake inspired and one spinach and scallion. To my surprise, the "muffins" came out just like souffle - airy, light, warm, and fluffy. And after they cooled, they actually collapsed into themselves... so if you're making for guests, serve promptly. I was planning on refrigerating mine for the week so I had grab and go breakfasts. I reheated one in the microwave this morning and the spinach was amazingly delicious. I also had a strawberry one, which was good, but not as satisfying as the spinach. Going forward, I'm going to double the batter - two souffles makes one content Suanne. One just didn't cut it.

Spinach Scallion Ricotta Egg Souffle "Muffins"
Makes 12 small souffles (and maybe 6 large ones if I find the right pan)

1/2 cup frozen spinach
1 scallion
4 eggs
2 cups ricotta cheese (drained)
1 teaspoon salt
Sriracha hot sauce to swirl in (optional, but probably why mine are so addicting)

1. Preheat the over to 400 degrees F.
2. In a mug, cook the spinach and scallions in the microwave. Squeeze out all excess water. 
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg and ricotta and salt. Add the spinach and scallions.
4. Oil your muffin pan with olive oil or spray. Spoon in 2-3 tablespoons of batter per cup. 
5. Squirt a little Sriracha over the tops and swirl into the top of the souffle.
6. Bake for 20-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean (Mine were exactly 25 min.)
7. Use a butter knife to separate the souffle from the sides of the pan before pulling out.
8. Stores in the refrigerator for about a week. Reheating is optional but 30 seconds in the microwave should do it. Enjoy!

Egg Fried Silken Tofu

One of my favorite dishes at a local Malaysian restaurant is the "jia chang dou fu" or the "house special tofu." It is a silken tofu, fried, then topped with a pork and mushroom sauce. I really could have cared less about the sauce - the tofu was why I came! If I had known how easy it was to make, I definitely would have tried sooner! I modified my recipe from a Korean recipe for Tofu Fry or Dooboo Boochim.

Egg Fried Silken Tofu
Serves 4, 15 minutes

1 block silken tofu
2 eggs
1 scallion

1. Open the tofu container and drain any excess water. Sprinkle salt over the top and then slice the tofu into pieces about 2 inch by 2 inch by 1 inch. Allow to sit and leech out more water for at least 30 minutes. 
2. Scramble the eggs in a bowl.
3. Heat a saute pan with 1/3rd of an inch of canola or vegetable oil. Allow to get very hot so that when you drop a bit of egg in, it fries and sizzles. Then reduce temperature to medium high so that you don't burn things too fast. 
4. Using a spatula and chopsticks, lift out a section of tofu. Pat dry with a paper towel, taking care to wipe off excess salt and draw out more water. 
5. Dip the tofu pieces in the egg, being careful to only put enough tofu in the bowl so each piece stays flat and unbroken. Coat evenly in egg, drain off excess egg, then place in pan to fry.
6. Fry each side for about 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Then redip the tofu in egg and fry the other side. 
7. When golden brown on all sides, remove from the pan and place on paper towels to drain the extra oil off. 
8. Serve with scallions and soy sauce. Enjoy quickly - once the outside isn't crispy, its not as good.

Paprika Corn Soup

In search for a summer soup that would be filling, with lots of veggies, and good hot or just a bit warm, I came across multiple recipes using corn. I liked cream corn soup as a kid, but I'll admit that the price of fresh corn in the city was too expensive and that frozen corn just isn't the same. In a soup though, I would be able to use frozen without compromising too much, since I could beef up the flavor with other ingredients.

Paprika Corn Soup
Serves 6

1 large onion
1 large carrot
3 stalks celery
2 tomatoes
1 jalapeno (flesh, no ribs or seeds)
1 can of beer
5 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon cumin
32 oz bag of frozen corn
2 teaspoons paprika
1 tablespoon salt

1. Heat a medium pot with 8 cups of water. Set to boil. 
2. Rough chop the onion, carrot, celery, tomatoes, jalapeno, and garlic. Heat a large stock pot with a tablespoon of olive oil and saute until tender.
3. Add the bay leaf and beer. Saute until alcohol evaporates (10 minutes).
4. Add the boiling water and simmer for about 30 minutes.
5. Add the cumin, paprika, and 30 oz of frozen corn (reserve some to finish the dish). Bring back to a simmer.
6. Pull out the bay leaf and discard. Fire up the immersion blender.
7. Add the reserved corn, add salt to taste, and serve. 
8. If you want the soup to be a little richer, add a teaspoon more of olive oil or a dollop of sour cream.

Gnocchi Alfredo with Peas and Shrimp

As frozen spinach and ricotta both went on sale last week, I knew I had to revive an older recipe: Spinach-Ricotta-Gnocchi. The tasty soft morsels of pasta are a labor of love, but incredibly delicious. In addition, they can be frozen uncooked for later meals. This time, I made the gnocchi with some pancetta, green peas, roasted garlic, and frozen shrimp for an amazing meal.

Gnocchi Alfredo with Peas and Shrimp
Serves 3-4, 20 minutes

2 cups frozen spinach gnocchi
1 bag frozen green peas (16 oz)
1 tablespoon diced pancetta (optional or substitute bacon)
1 tablespoon roasted garlic (or fresh)
 10 frozen shrimp
1/3 cup heavy cream

1. Boil a large pot of salted water. Cook the frozen gnocchi until they float, then use slotted spoon to remove from hot water. Run cold water over them and drain. 
2. Cook the frozen peas in the remaining boiled water, then drain.
3. Concurrently to boiling the water, heat a large saute pan on high. Add the pancetta and fray (note that you don't need to add oil here). After a minute or two, reduce heat to medium low, add the garlic and a pinch of chili flakes. Allow to saute and combine flavors until very fragrant. 
4. Add the peas and frozen shrimp and cook off any excess water. 
5. When the water is evaporated, add the gnocchi. Saute on medium heat to remove excess water, then add the heavy cream.
6. Allow the heavy cream to reduce on medium heat until thickened.
7. Spoon into bowls. Allow to cool for a few minutes prior to serving.

Pear Cardamom Muffins (Low Fat)

I love love love pears. From happy Bosc to crunchy Korean, pears are a delicate and delicious fruit. I love them poached, in salads, the JellyBelly version - you name it, its delicious. So after making three batches of the Apple Cinnamon Muffins, I needed a little change and pears just happened to be on sale!

This version stays pretty true to the Apple Cinnamon recipe, incorporating applesauce (or in this case pear-sauce) rather than using oil. The pear sauce is cooked with cardamom, which is a fragrant Indian spice that is often used in chai tea, kheer (rice pudding), and other sweets. The cardamom lends an exotic feel to a rather homey muffin. I also added a bit of low fat yogurt to this recipe to add a bit more moisture and fluff. The yogurt has this way of making the muffins more cakey.

Yes,  its the same picture for the apple cinnamon muffins. Sue me, they look exactly the same!

Pear Cardamom MuffinsMakes 1 dozen regular muffins or 9 larger muffins

1 1/2 cup flour3/4 cup sugar1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon cinnamon1/4 cup chopped almonds or walnuts
pinch of salt 1/2 cup milk1 1/2 cup pears, diced
4 cardamom pods, seeds only and chopped1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons low fat yogurt

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Sift all dry ingredients together in a bowl. (Flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nuts).
3. Make pear sauce. Place 1/2 cup diced pears in a microwave safe mug, then add a teaspoon of water and the cardamom seeds. Cover with a small plate. Microwave on high for two minutes. Mash with a fork and microwave until the pears have broken down to an applesauce texture. A little over or under cooked is fine. 
4. Add all wet ingredients: diced pear, pear sauce, egg, milk, and yogurt. Mix by hand to incorporate, but don't go crazy, since over mixing yields denser baked goods. Mix only as much as necessary.
5. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or a few sprays of Pam or canola oil. Spoon about a 1.5 tablespoons into a each liner. (Or two tablespoons for the larger muffins, which the batter will fill almost the whole cup.)
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool before eating.