Crispy Tofu with Roasted Carrots and Snow Peas

My mother was a grand storyteller of food – she’d tell me about the mystical healing powers of dragon fruit, how too many oranges would make my body produce too much “fire”, and how the more tofu a lady eats, the whiter her skin would become.

Food issues weren’t ever a problem in our family, all mother had to do was instill a little fear and with no questions asked I’d eat it. “You better eat all that cauliflower Xin-xin, or your bone break off, no calcium! “ Eat all the rice in your bowl or holes will grow in your mouth!” “Better not eat too many lychee or you get pimple on your face!” 

Recently she told me I should eat more firm tofu, “Newspaper say, firm tofu has more calcium then soft tofu and soooo gooood for your skin!!” Well it’s hard to argue with that. 

When I make healthy meals at home I like to keep a few things in mind:

1.     Lots of colors: We eat with our eyes so I usually like to load my plate full of colors: greens, reds, yellows, it’s like painting by numbers, but with food.

2.     Textures: as humans we’re naturally drawn to crispy, crunchy, toothsome things. It makes our brains and mouths happy.

3.     Bold flavors:  Spices are a great way to pump up flavor in a meal without adding too much fat. Sauces are also a great way to add a kick to an otherwise bland meal.

For this dish, I decided to pan fry the firm tofu to add a nice crispy crust to the outside. It’s a great way to add texture to an otherwise soggy piece of tofu without it being overly oily and heavy. It’s important to use firm tofu when frying.

Roasting the carrots adds a great depth of flavor and holds a great meaty texture that makes this healthy dish feel hearty and fulfilling. Adding some fresh snow peas on top gives it a light, refreshing crunch and the sweet and spicy sesame sauce really brings it all together.

Feel free to make a large batch of roasted carrots to use for salads, wraps, sandwiches, pastas and soups. Leftover carrots last for up to a week in the fridge and go with practically anything.

Ingredients for Crispy Tofu with Roasted Carrots and Snow Peas

Serves 2

• 1 block firm tofu (14 oz)
• 1 Tb salt
• 2 Tb peanut oil
• 6 carrots, washed and large diced about 1” thick
• 2 Tb EVOO
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Kosher salt & pepper to taste
• Handful raw snow peas, washed, trimmed and thinly sliced

For Crispy Tofu:

Sprinkle salt over tofu and drain in a coriander lined with paper towels. Slice into ½” thick rectangles about 1-2” wide, whichever shape you prefer.  Drain once more with paper towels, making sure the majority of the liquid has been removed.

Heat peanut oil in skillet or pan over medium high heat. When oil just begins to smoke, add tofu pieces. Fry about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown and flip and repeat for other side. Place onto plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.

For Roasted Carrots:

Preheat oven to 375F.  Line a large baking tray with foil and place carrots onto pan. Mix oil and minced garlic together in a bowl and drizzle over the carrots. Make sure all the pieces are coated evenly with the mixture. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper and place into oven. Roast for 30 minutes.

Turn carrot pieces over and increase temperature to 400F.  Roast for an additional 10-15 minutes and remove from oven and set aside.

Ingredients for Sweet and Spicy Sesame Sauce

Makes about ½ cup sauce

• 1/3 C soy sauce
• 1 Tb distilled water
• ½ tsp freshly grated ginger (add ½ tsp more if you prefer a stronger ginger flavor) 
• 2 Tb brown sugar
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 Tb toasted sesame seeds

In a small jar or dish, mix all ingredients together and microwave in 30 sec intervals for 2-3 minutes until sugar has completely melted and sauce has slightly thickened. Adjust flavors accordingly.

Assembly:

You can serve this with rice or noodles. In a large bowl, place steamed rice on the bottom. Top with crispy tofu pieces and roasted carrots and top with some thinly sliced snow peas and drizzle with sweet and spicy sesame sauce.  Feel free to garnish with chopped scallions or cilantro if preferred. Serve immediately.

--------------------------

Helpful Tips:

1.     For Extra Crispy Tofu: Make sure to dry tofu well before frying! The drier the surface, the crispier the crust. Retained water causes the tofu to “steam” instead of “fry” so get those paper towels ready.

2.     Larger the surface area the quicker the cooking time: Because carrots are so firm, they can take awhile to cook. To quicken the process, slice carrots at a large diagonal – this increases the surface area which not only cuts down time but gives you a bigger area of “Carmelization” thus leading to better flavor and texture.

3.     Carmelization during Roasting: Roasting can only occur when the vegetable/fruit is coated with oil and spread across the pan without overcrowding. When there are too many ingredients crowded on top of each other they will steam instead of roast, resulting in a soggier and blander result. Proper roasting gives ingredients a great body of flavor and texture.

4.     Leftovers: Leftover tofu and carrots can be easily stored in glass Tupperware and simply reheated in a toaster oven for 10-15 minutes on “Toast” or 1-2 minutes on high in a microwave.

5.     Mason Jars: These are great for sauces and dressings. Simply put the ingredients in the jar and shake. You can even make bigger batches to use throughout the week.

Oak Restaurant

Great design is hard to achieve -- to find the perfect balance of aesthetics, functionality and presence takes confidence and gusto. Not many restaurants make me weak in the knees but walking into Oak never fails to transport me to another dimension. The romantically plush booths of chocolate-kissed leather paired with poised high-backed chairs of cool grey flannel and modern prints, gives just the right amount of class with a laid-back vibe that puts you right at ease. 

The original bare bricked walls offer an ode to the original structure while the modern industrialized fixtures and greenery that surrounds the room breathes a tone of vibrancy and sophistication. 

Owners Richard & Tiffanee Ellman and Tommy DeAlano worked with Plan B to create this magical gem. But it doesn't just stop with the incredible interior but behind the kitchen doors lies one of the most talented teams in Dallas. The head of the kitchen is led by Executive Chef Jason Maddy along with his Sous Chef Thomas Gray and Pastry Chef Sarah Green. 

Chef Maddy was a formal veteran of David Bouley's Danube restaurant in New York as well the Chef de Cuisine at the Mansion Restaurant in Dallas. With his first executive chef position at Oak, he has already landed the much sought-after 4 star review by the Dallas Morning News and have gained national recognition from Bon Appetit and was a semi-finalist in the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest. 

The focus is on elegant cuisine that celebrates global flavors with a classical technique and where Maddy constantly challenges culinary boundaries creating robust provocative plates at a comfortably reasonable price. 

Feast your eyes on these lovely plates...

Aykushi Ribeye with Bordalaise and brown butter potato

Ceasar Salad with Foccatia Crutons 

Duo of foie gras with ponzu and edamame 

Be sure to visit Oak and explore one of the best gems in the Dallas Design District. Experience the medley of cultures through their impeccable cuisine and thoughtfully crafted cocktails and wines and don't forget to take advantage of their beautiful patio that's perfect for cool breezy nights. 

Oak Restaurant 

1628 Oak Lawn Ave.

Dallas, TX 75207

Monday-Thurs 5pm-10om

Friday-Saturday 5pm-11pm

Crawfish Boil

One of my favorite parts about cooking and eating are all the different ways it can bring people together. There's just something soulful about eating with your hands, barefoot in the grass, drinking beer and getting rowdy with friends and what better way to do that than with a Crawfish Boil? With a small window of cool breezy nights here in Texas, it always seem to conveniently fall around Crawfish season so I knew no time should be wasted! 

So how does one have a crawfish boil? Well there's four main elements: lots of crawfish, lots of friends, plenty of beer and one big ass pot. The most common places that usually carry crawfish are Asian markets or Fiesta, you can even order them online. Make sure you wash the crawfish thoroughly, after all their nickname is Mudbugs ... that gives you a clue as to how/where they spend most of their time. I usually like dumping them in a big kiddie pool and have someone rinse them til the water runs clear, you can also do this in a large pot as well.

My favorite place to have crawfish here in Dallas is at The Boiling Crab. However, what I don't love about that place are the long lines and the fact that they charge for water. I turn into a freaking camel when I eat crawfish, mostly because I like them spicy, like burn your lips and sweat dripping down your brow spicy. I scoured the internet and found a "copycat Boiling Crab recipe" and I'd gotta say, it was pretty stinkin close! I replaced the margarine with butter in this recipe but you can find the original recipe here. Plan for about 1-2 pounds of crawfish per person. 

Ingredients

(yields 10-14 pounds of crawfish and shrimp)

• 2 sticks butter 
• 1 bag louisiana crawfish, Crab, and Shrimp boil (get the yellow bag)
• cayenne pepper
• mccormick bayou cajun seasoning
• lemon pepper
• paprika
• Old Bay Seasoning
• louisiana hot sauce
• 8 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 8-12 lbs crawfish, live
• 4 lbs shrimp, live
• 1 lb red potatoes, halved
• 8 ears white corn
• 1 lb smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch segments

Directions

Pour live crawfish into a washtub or ice chest; cover with water. Drain. Repeat 3 to 4 times until crawfish are clean. Drain. Discard any dead crawfish and debris.

Rinse shrimp and set aside in bowl.

Cook crawfish and shrimp by boiling in hot water with the Louisiana Crawfish Boil, quartered lemon, potatoes, corn and sausage (add potatoes, corn, and sausage 15 minutes prior to crawfish and add the shrimp at the very end as it only takes 5 minutes to cook). While they are cooking make the sauce:.

Melt the butter over low heat in a large saucepan. Add garlic and saute until translucent.

Then add about 3 tsp each of Cajun seasoning, Old Bay, cayenne pepper, lemon pepper, paprika and Louisiana Hot Sauce. When you have the mixture right, add a bit of lemon juice (about half a lemon). 

Set butter mixture aside.

Grab two large bowls. Using a strainer, strain one bowl for the corn and sausage and strain another bowl for crawfish, shrimp and potatoes. 

Take a thick large plastic bag (you can also do this in a large bowl) dump the crawfish, shrimp and potatoes in with your butter mixture and toss gently, making sure everything is evenly coated. 

Spread across the table with corn and sausage and serve! 

Now once the crawfish is cooked and ready, line a large table with newspaper or paper bags and spread the cooked crawfish all over. Grab some metal bowls for shells and remember to have plenty of paper towels nearby, jugs of water and beer, and some extra condiments like cajun seasoning, lemons and ketchup.  

Get dirty, have fun and be prepared to sweat!

Habanero Pepper Jam

There's a few things I've learned since we started gardening 

1. North Texas gardening is a battlefield. You get unpredictable hail, crazy temperature fluctuations and big black rabbits named Layla stomping all over your veggie patch.

2. Gardening takes a lot of work, patience and discipline. Thank god for Collin or else our garden would only be growing rocks. 

3. Anything that grows in your own garden is 100 times tastier than anything you'll ever buy at the store. Because your own blood, sweat and tears will always taste better than someone else's blood, sweat and tears. 

4. When it rains it pours. Bountiful harvest always means an overabundance of produce that either spoils before you get the chance to eat it all or you just get sick of eating the same thing for weeks. Best solution?  Preserve. 

There are plenty more lessons to be shared about gardening but I wanna get to this pepper jam. We had an influx of habanero peppers last Summer to the point of panic. With Collin being a pepper head, we had our fill of chocolate habaneros, Caribbean reds, and Congo Trinidad habaneros. The thing is, with habaneros being some of the spiciest peppers out there, one can only use so much without the entire dish burning your mouth to the point of tears.  

We vacuum packed them and froze them, gave them away to family, friends and neighbors and as the weeks went on, our freezer slowly started filling up with these crazy hot peppers to the point of utter madness.  We had peppers up to our ears without a use in sight. 

Then somehow, the subject of canning came about and that led us to the idea of jamming some habaneros together and hoping for the best. I found this recipe through Allrecipes and added pineapple and pasillo peppers for a slightly different flavor profile and the results were stunning. The jamming process somehow transformed these freakishly hot peppers into something delightfully palpable, with the perfect balance of sweetness and bite. I find myself using this jam on pretty much everything: a tasty schmear on a sandwich, a spoonful in my salad vinaigrette, a transformative glaze on a pork chop or maybe even in a cocktail.

The truth of the matter is, even though canning takes a little elbow grease to complete, it's a great way to store and preserve garden bounties.  Now we're equipped with a closet full of Habanero pepper jam readily available to use for the rest of the year. 

So first the recipe for the jam:

Ingredients:

(yields 8 half-pint jars)

• 8 half pint canning jars with lids and rings
• 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
• 6 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1 cup canned pineapple, drained and small diced
• 15 habanero peppers, seeded and minced
• 5 pasillo peppers, seeded and minced
• 2 (3 ounce) pouches liquid pectin

Stir the vinegar and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat until the sugar has dissolved, then stir in the carrot and pineapple. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes. Add the pasillo and habanero peppers and simmer 5 minutes longer. Pour in the pectin, and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Skim and discard any foam from the jelly.

Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pour the jelly into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.

Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 5 minutes.

Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). 

Store jams in a dark, cool and dry place and can last for up to 2-4 years.  

-------------------

Now going back to point 1, because of the unusually cool weather we've been having in Dallas this Spring, it's allowed us to grow all different types of lettuces. My newfound love? Butterhead Lettuce aka Bibb or Boston lettuce. There's some magic in this lettuce as the texture is velvety and firm with a buttery and creamy flavor. It makes my mouth feel important just eating it and tastes even better when dressed perfectly with the right kind of toppings.  

For this salad I blanched some carrots and tossed them in a spicy garlicky mixture and paired it with shaved jicama, avocado and snow peas. It's light and spicy with great textural profiles and is a true celebration for all things Spring. Feel free to garnish with toasted peanuts and Black Cyprus Sea Salt (which is mixed with activated charcoal and serves as a natural detoxifier) for a crunchy nutty finish. 

When eating any type of produce, whether store-bought or from the garden, make sure you are thoroughly washing before ingesting as many fruits and vegetables may have harmful residue that can make you sick. Lettuce learn how to properly wash produce from NPR.

Here's the recipe for the dressing:

Ingredients:

(serves 1-2, yields about 1/8 c dressing)

• 1 lime, squeezed
• 2 tablespoons evoo
• spoonful of Habanero Pepper Jam
• pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Place ingredients in a small bowl, whisk together thoroughly and set aside until ready to use. 

Here's the recipe for the salad:

Ingredients: 

(serves 2-4)

• Butterhead lettuce, washed and dried 
• 1/2 cup jicama, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup snow peas, washed and thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, pitted and cubed
• 2 carrots, peeled and small diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated 
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp olive oil
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup toasted peanuts 
• Black Cyprus Sea Salt
• Habanero Lime Dressing (see recipe above)

Heat a small pot of water over high heat. Once water is boiling, place carrots in and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and immediately place in ice water bath. Drain and place in a small bowl with garlic, chili flakes, honey, olive oil and pinch of salt. Mix well and set aside.   

Place washed butterhead leaves in a bowl and dress with Habanero Lime Dressing making sure leaves are evenly coated. Sprinkle with salt and freshly cracked black pepper and place it on a plate. Top with jicama slices, snow peas, avocado and carrot mixture and finish with toasted peanuts and black cyprus sea salt to finish. Serve immediately. 

Orange Ginger Popsicles

Oranges are my go to fruit anytime I need an immunity boost. On top of being packed with vitamin C, it's dense in phytonutrients and antioxidants, making it great for your skin. With Summer just around the corner, I tend to gravitate towards lighter and healthier desserts and popsicles are perfect as they are crazy simple to make and the flavor combinations are endless. 

For these popsicles, I had a good amount of ginger syrup leftover that I made for cocktails during a brunch get together and thought it'd pair nicely with the sweet and tanginess of oranges. If we took the sun and molded it into popsicle form, I imagine this is what you'd get -- the flavors are bright, refreshing with just the right amount of bite.

Feel free to grate some fresh ginger into the mixture if you want even more bite or omit completely if you're not a fan. These would also be great during brunch served in cups alongside some bubbly champagne. 

For the popsicle molds, these are the ones I use at home but you can easily use 2 oz dixie cups as well. You can buy popsicle sticks just about anywhere or order them online. 

INGREDIENTS

serves 6-8; yields 2 cups popsicle mixture 

• 6-8 small oranges
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup ginger syrup

Juice 6 oranges and strain out pulp. Mix with water and ginger syrup and pour mixture into popsicle molds or small (2-ounce) paper cups.  

Freeze until beginning to set, about 1 hour. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze until completely firm. Dip the molds briefly in hot water to make un-molding easier.

Also try my Honey Yogurt Berry Pops -- made with fresh berries, greek yogurt and raw honey, it's creamy, tangy with just the right amount of sweetness from the honey.