Sunday, April 28, 2013

Tofu and Broccolini Pad See Ew

Yes, that's right. I attempted another type of Thai food. It turned out pretty good. I will be making it again.




Recipe for Tofu and Broccolini Pad See Ew


Ingredients
1 (14-ounce) package dried wide rice noodles
14 ounces firm tofu, drained and cut into large chunks
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 pound broccolini, sliced on the bias into 1-inch-long pieces
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 medium garlic cloves, sliced paper thin
2 large eggs

Directions
1. Place the noodles in a large heatproof bowl and cover with hot tap water. Soak until loose and pliable, about 30 minutes. Separate the noodles by hand and drain; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, place the tofu cubes on a paper-towel-lined plate; set aside. Combine the soy sauce, 1/4 cup of the water, and brown sugar in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Heat the remaining 1/4 cup of water in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat until simmering. Add the broccolini, cover with a tightfitting lid, and cook until just beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Remove the lid and cook, stirring often, until the water has evaporated and the broccolini is just tender when pierced with a knife, about 2 minutes more. Remove the broccolini to a plate and set aside.
4. Return the pan to medium-high heat, add the oil, and heat until shimmering. Add the reserved tofu and sauté, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides (be careful—the oil will splatter), about 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic, and cook until just beginning to color, about 15 seconds. Add the reserved soy sauce mixture, noodles, and broccolini and cook, tossing gently, until the noodles are soft, warmed through, and coated with sauce, about 4 minutes.
6. Push the noodle mixture to one side of the pan, add the eggs, and scramble until they begin to set, about 30 seconds. Let the eggs cook undisturbed until solid, about 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and toss to evenly combine all the ingredients. Serve immediately.

Recipe Credit:
http://www.chow.com/recipes/28028-tofu-and-broccolini-pad-see-ew

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever. I think what makes them so perfect is that they are baked on parchment paper. It is an important step, so don't skip out on it! Also - when I take them out of the oven, I'm always questioning whether or not they are done, but they will continue to cook for a few minutes and toughen up, so when in doubt, take them out early.





Recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1½ cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. coarse sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1½ tsp. baking powder
2¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 360 degrees. 
2. Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until it is nice and fluffy (approx. 3 minutes on medium-high speed). 
3. Add both eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes. 
4. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour until cookie batter is fully incorporated. 
5. Finally add chocolate chips until well distributed. The cookie batter should be somewhat thick. 
6. Drop about 2 tablespoons of dough or use a medium cookie scoop and plop the batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are nice and golden brown. Remove from heat and allow the cookies to stay on the cookie sheet for an additional 2 minutes. Pick up the parchment paper with the cookies still on top and transfer to a cool non-porous surface. Allow the cookies to cool on the paper for at least 3 minutes before serving.

Recipe Credit: 
http://savorysweetlife.com/2009/10/alices-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe/

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Vegetable Lasagna II

This is a special family recipe that originated with my sister-in-law, Amanda.  I think that she made it for us once, and we all loved it!  Now the recipe is a staple in our house.  It is pretty fail-proof.  My only comment about this lasagna recipe is that it is very dependent on the sauce that you use.  All pasta sauces taste different, so use a good sauce that you like.  Thanks for the recipe, Amanda!






Recipe for Vegetable Lasagna II (with Spinach) 

Ingredients:
1/2 lb lasagna (12 full noodles)
2 jars pasta sauce
16 oz. of ricotta or cottage cheese
1 pkg frozen, chopped spinach thawed and drained (or about 4 large handfuls of fresh spinach)
1 lb+ of mozzarella
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten

Directions:
1. Boil water. Add lasagna and cook until el dente.  Remove lasagna from water. 
2. In a bowl, combine half the mozzarella, parmesan cheese, eggs, spinach and ricotta cheese. 
3. Layer in a greased 15 x 9 pan sauce, lasagna, sauce, spinach mix, mozzarella, lasagna, sauce, repeat.  4. Cover with foil, bake 45 mins at 350. 
5. Uncover, top with remaining mozzarella and bake another 15 minutes. 
6. Let stand for 10 mins before serving.

Recipe Credit: 
my wonderful sister-in-law, Amanda