So long! Farewell! Auf wiedersehen! Adieu!

I'm moving! Not physically but the blog is going in a new direction. The Taming of the Roux has been fun but it's time to tackle new challenges and explore. Instead of only sharing kitchen adventures and recipes, I want to spend more time honing my writing. To do that, I want to be able to write more frequently which means writing about more than the best recipes I've tried or created. There have been hints of this developing ever since the so-called "Beer Odyssey" a couple years ago. Friends decided to introduce me to the world of craft beer perhaps in an attempt to take my mind off of a painful breakup. Don't worry! It wasn't a drown my sorrows in my drinks kind of solution. We were always responsible and have continued to be.

Craft beer has become something my friends and I connect and bond over. Tasting and discussing the merits of the brews we try and the distances we'll drive to taste artisan beers. Food is still my focus for the new blog but I've invited friends to contribute. Foodies & Brewies is being piloted as a name (perhaps I've even coined a new label with "brewies") but if you've been with me since the beginning you know I'm not shy about changing it. As far as names go, it captures the essence of what the new blog will be about. If you're looking for recipes, original or reviewed, recommendations for restaurants, and are interested (even remotely) by the craft beer and local movement, check us out at the new site and bear with us as we work out the kinks and smooth those wrinkles.

Thank you for any interest you've had in The Taming of the Roux and the support you've provided!

Procrastibaking

My last semester of grad school is in full swing. We're already on week 4 and my super-senioritis is getting worse by the day. Even though my full attention should be focused on my last two classes and studying for the comprehensive exam that will determine whether or not I received my MLIS, my focus has been increasingly diverted by all the other things I could do with my time. Like baking.

It's baking season after all. I was craving banana bread. So, naturally, I made three different kinds because I was determined to try a bunch of recipes and combinations. (Instead of reading my textbooks devotedly.)

First up: a banana bread recipe from Cooking Light. I threw chocolate chips in even though they weren't called for. I told myself I was just using up the last of the bag and the end of the plain nonfat Greek yogurt, but really it was just an excuse to not do schoolwork.

Well, that bread was enjoyed thoroughly but I thought it was a little dry. What can I really expect with a low fat content?

Next came the recipe from a homemade recipe book a school put together. You probably have a few of them too. They're the ones where parents and family members contribute their favorite and best recipes for some kind of fundraising event. Ours is from the early 90s meaning I virtually grew up with it. The recipe didn't disappoint. Made with canola oil instead of butter and yogurt, this bread is so soft and resists the drying effects of a few days with ease. Blueberries made their way into this batch, and, to illustrate how bad my avoidance behavior has become, I even shaved banana and carefully placed them over the top before transferring the filled pan to the oven.

For breakfast the next morning, I toasted a piece and smeared it with some red wine blueberry preserves I made over the summer to have with my tea. Of course that had to be Instagrammed and rubbed into my friends faces. (It was divine, in case you're wondering).

And the culmination of my banana bread making arrived in the banana bread with chocolate chips and strawberry swirl inspired by chocolate covered strawberries. The basic banana bread recipe came from a Good Housekeeping cookbook but I made a few adjustments based on my previous two quick-breads. Canola oil was used again since it kept the blueberry banana bread so tender but I skipped the spices it called for and used a touch of vanilla. The chocolate chips were an easy addition but the strawberry swirl was a little tricky. I wasn't sure how batter would react to the extra liquid.

I blended about a cup and half of strawberries with a teaspoon of sugar and let it sit while I made the batter. Once the batter was prepared, I poured half into the pan then added the blended strawberries. Using a butter knife, I marbled the strawberry mixture and batter before adding the reserved half and marbled again.

For an experiment, it turned out wonderfully. I wish the strawberry swirl could have been more vivid but looks hardly matter when it tastes so good. The strawberry doesn't overwhelm the banana and its subtlety is a delight when combined with the chocolate chips. All together, it makes for one fabulous treat.

While that's it for the procrastibaking this time, be prepared for the next level of crazy that avoidance has brought me. 

Watermelon Beer Cocktail Mixer Thing

 Happy International Beer Day!

Before beer lovers cry foul, let me point out what beer I used for this concoction. 

Less than 100 calories, Lime Cactus Michelob Ultra...
Yeah. It hardly counts as beer. Good thing I'm going to visit some breweries to make up for this.

Dad keeps buying them because he thinks Mom and I like them. When I first started drinking beer these weren't bad...they just don't taste like beer. My tastebuds have grown up and moved on to darker and hoppier things. Even the Shandys (Shandies?) lurking in the background lack appeal and crave an inspired touch. They're taking up valuable refrigerator space so things always get interesting when I'm trying to free up space. 

There's quite a bit of watermelon in the 'fridge too and, since I've had watermelon beer before, it seemed like a perfect simple solution. Improve the drinkability of the "beer" and use up some more watermelon. 

You can do this with any light beer to make a refreshing summer afternoon drink for relaxing:

Blend watermelon until the pieces create as fine a mixture as possible. Do NOT blend beer with watermelon. You'd have a foamy, frothy mess on your hands. 

Pour light beer into a large glass with ice leaving plenty of room for your blended watermelon. Add watermelon slowly and carefully because it's likely to fizz up. Watermelon and carbonated beverages make for a bubbly reaction just short of volatile.

My ratio was roughly one 12oz beer to 2oz blended watermelon. 

Garnish with an extra slice of watermelon! Or get creative and transform what you're not crazy about into something you'll be happy to drink!

Enjoy a drink far tastier than the boring light beer it started out as!

Salted Caramel Pretzel S'mores

Hopefully you'll find forgiveness in your hearts for the long delays between posts after you see this one!

During the summer, the only thing that can trump s'mores for me is ice cream. Honestly, ice cream trumps just about everything. It's the one dessert food that I will sacrifice real, savory, entree type food for the chance to enjoy that sweet creamy goodness...pardon, the daydream moment about the pint of Ben & Jerry's I just finished yesterday.

Back to s'mores! If you haven't seen The Sandlot, you should, purely for the sake of Ham's explanation of s'mores which I quote, verbatim, whenever they come up in conversation. Graham, chocolate, roasted/toasted marshmallow, graham. Campfire food perfection.

As much as I love traditional s'mores, an idea occurred to me thanks to some internet inspiration. Salted Caramel Pretzel S'mores! Between you and me, I might actually like these better than the original! (SHH! I know this is blasphemy!)

How can you create such a magnificent tastebud nirvana? With a few simple ingredients from your local store.

• Ghirardelli Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate squares
• Flat pretzel crisps
• Marshmallows

Now, you might have noticed in the picture above, that I used Peeps...My mother is a marshmallow fiend so I was appalled to find when I visited that the only marshmallows left in the house were mini ones and an open package of Vanilla Creme Peeps. I opted for the Peeps thinking that the sugar would caramelize beautifully while being toasted over the open flame of the kitchen range. (Don't judge me! It was the middle of a hot summer Saturday, I wasn't going to light a fire out back just so I could toast one Peep!)

So in the immortal and unforgettable (yet altered for the sake of this blog) words of the Great Hambino...

First, you take the pretzel crisp.
You stick the chocolate on the pretzel crisp.
THEN, you roast a 'mallow.
When the 'mallow's flamin' (or desired toastedness), you stick it on the chocolate, and you cover it with the other pretzel crisp.
And then, YOU STUFF!

It's super messy because the caramel inside the chocolate is gooey and the hot marshmallow melts the thin chocolate encasement of all that ooey caramel while the marshmallow squishes out on the sides. MMM! But it's the salty pretzel crunch and savory bite that takes these nontraditional s'mores to the next level of summertime food valhalla.

Vegan Seitan Laksa

Hopefully you can all pardon the slow rate of posting while I'm in school and working two jobs. It will be worse this semester because my schedule will have an additional 12 hours of unpaid labor added to my work week while I intern per school requirements. (Because working at two college libraries isn't enough professional field experience). Don't let my grousing fool you though! I am very excited to be interning this semester since its a chance to do different things and get experience in a wider context.

My parents have been getting to me with their veganism. While I'm not opposed to it, there are certain foods that I'm struggling to give up entirely. My body feels 100% healthier when I eat a completely plant-based diet and no dairy means I can actually breathe and swallow like a normal human being.

So in my efforts to eat less meat, and since I actually enjoy many meat substitutes, I decided to take a recipe for Chicken Laksa that I found on Myrecipes.com from Sunset magazine and make it vegan!

What is laksa? I hadn't heard of it before coming across a recipe for it on Pinterest. Food p*rn induced hunger cravings lead me to googling it to find out more. A hot and spicy Malaysian soup with noodles and usually some kind of fish component that can be done in a curry style with coconut milk. I was hooked. Reeling in some recipes was fairly easy and I printed off the one from Myrecipes.com since it seemed the most flavorful while still being quick and simple to prepare.

I had a problem though. When I found the recipe, I wasn't looking for vegan, not even vegetarian, variations. The first elimination was obvious: chicken. The second was quick to follow: chicken broth. The third was sneaky: shrimp paste. Three ingredients that all needed substitutions of some kind.

Substitution 1: seitan, pre-cooked and cubed
Substitution 2: vegetable broth/imitation chicken broth
Substitution 3: hoisin sauce

Why these swaps over others?

1. I personally really like seitan and it holds up well in soups and stew without breaking down. While some are turned off by its sponge like nature, I don't find it unappealing. It's not meat. No meat substitutes are going to have the exact same texture and mouth-feel of meat but your preference for meat's texture comes from years of eating meat and not experimenting with plant-based protein sources. Seitan is good because it gives your jaw something to actually chew on. Once you accept that it ISN'T chicken, it will be easier to develop a liking for it. Seitan is a wheat protein so it is NOT gluten free.

2. Vegetable broth is the easiest and most obvious swap for chicken broth but if you can find products like No-Chicken-Broth, you'll be able to mimic the taste to which you've become accustomed.

I also used Lite Coconut Milk to cut down on the calories.

3. Originally, I was just going to eliminate the shrimp paste and not worry about a substitute but last minute I decided it might need something salty. I did another search to find out if there are any easy substitutes for shrimp paste and found a number of recommendations but most involved miso or seaweed, neither of which I had on hand. I don't care for miso soup and I didn't want my laksa to taste anything like that. Someone suggested hoisin, something we always have in the fridge.

Vegan Seitan Laksa

adapted from Sunset magazine

by The Taming of the Roux

Ingredients:

2 tbsps coriander seeds

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

4 cloves

1/4 tsp gr. turmeric

5-8 arbol chiles, stemmed

2 lemongrass stalks*

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 lb seitan, cubed

1 tsp hoisin sauce

3 large shallots, thinly sliced

1/3 c. water

1 can (13.5oz)  lite coconut milk

1 qt. reduced sodium vegetable broth/no-chicken broth

2 tsps sugar

3 tsps kosher salt

1 cinnamon stick

6 oz mung bean sprouts, rinsed

8 oz wide rice noodles

fresh mint, torn

fresh cilantro, torn

lime wedges

Sambal oelek chili paste**

*I can never find fresh lemongrass so I used a jarred substitute. If you are like me, I used about a tablespoon of the jarred variety and didn't need to remove it from the soup later on.

**Sambal oelek is a chili garlic paste that can be found in the Asian section of your grocery store. It is not to be confused with Sriracha as it comes in a smaller container with a screw-cap. The main ingredient difference between the two is that sriracha has added sugar to make it a little sweeter. 

WARNING: The spicy heat threshold for this soup is very high. If you aren't a fan of spices tingling and heating up your whole mouth, you shouldn't add any sambal oelek at the end and you should used less than 5 arbol chiles.

Instructions:

1. Grind coriander through arbol chiles in a spice blender (or by hand for a great arm and wrist workout). Set aside. Peel the tough outer layers from the fresh lemongrass, if you have it, and mash the core with a heavy tool (like a meat mallet or a frying pan).

2. If you haven't already, slice your shallots and heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallots, the reserved spice mixture, and hoisin sauce. Stir to coat shallots and then add 1/3 cup of water to help the shallots saute and combine with the spices. (In the original recipe, the meat is added at this stage. Water adds moisture that is lost by eliminating the chicken.) Stir constantly until softened, roughly 2 minutes.

3. Add coconut milk, broth, sugar, salt, cinnamon stick, and lemongrass. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Add the seitan during the last 5 minutes.

4. In a separate pot, boil water and cook the beansprouts for 2 minutes. Remove the sprouts from the boiling water and cook the rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse well.

To serve, divide sprouts and noodles between bowls. Add sambal if you wish. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with a sprinkling of cilantro and mint, squeeze fresh lime juice over the top. You'll need chopsticks and a spoon for this!

How can I describe the exotic smell of this hot and fragrant soup? The kitchen smelled like a sweltering and humid country halfway around the world while the cold damp yet unseasonably warm (45 degrees F) New England January day passed by outside the kitchen window. It was nice to feel completely transported by this dish and escape, if only for a day, from the dreary weather at home.

Oh, and since I've never had laksa with meat, I have no memories of it to compare but I would put money on how delicious this recipe is. You won't miss the meat with all the warm and spicy flavors dancing on your tongue while the smell seduces your senses.

Pumpkin, Sage, and Gorgonzola Spaghetti

Happy Halloween!

As previously established, I love pumpkin during the Fall. I'm incredibly original too. Just a few days after my post welcoming the autumn season with pumpkin cake balls, Bon Appetit posted an article called 10 Rules for Cooking with Pumpkin This Fall. While I agree on many counts, I must disagree on Pumpkin Spice Lattes. They are the one exception to my rule on never drinking coffee.

If you haven't heard, my parents went vegan! Yeah, my dad, the Italian carnivore, is vegan. Most of the time. Vegan is tough for dining out and since he is vegan for the purpose of saving his own life and not the lives of animals, he cuts himself some slack occasionally. They watched Forks Over Knives AND the extended interviews which I've had sitting in my Netflix queue for a few months. Lucky for them, I had purchased the cookbook inspired by it so after being horrified by what they learned in the documentary, they had something with which to start cooking Fat-Free Vegan meals. I'm not ready to give up dairy entirely yet even though I really shouldn't have it so while this recipe isn't vegan, it is vegetarian. It's also still in the works since I threw this one serving meal together for myself using leftovers. That's really the only kind of cooking I have time for these days between work and grad school.

Creamy, tangy, and woodsy. Those are the best words to describe this dish apart from delicious. It's savory Fall at its best. And it comes together in a flash with leftover ingredients! We had made a vegan pumpkin bread that didn't call for the entire can of pumpkin puree so I needed to find a recipe to use up what was left. Cue my at home version of Chopped.

Pumpkin, Sage, and Gorgonzola Sauce with Spaghetti

The Taming of the Roux Original Recipe

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 - 1 1/2 cup(s) cooked spaghetti
• 2 teaspoons olive oil or canola
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 
• 2 tablespoons vegetable stock, low-sodium
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1-2 tablespoons gorgonzola, crumbled 
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions  

1. Heat oil in a small-medium non-stick skillet over medium heat and add garlic and sage stirring constantly for about a minute. Careful, do not burn the garlic or the sage.
2. Add pumpkin puree and vegetable stock. Stir constantly until extra liquid cooks off and the puree is bubbling but still loose. Add salt and pepper.
3. Add heavy cream, stir constantly until well mixed, cook for a minute.
4. If your spaghetti is leftover and cold, heat in microwave for  30-60 seconds, (if not skip the microwave).
5. Add the gorgonzola crumbles. Don't add too much since you don't want to overpower the pumpkin and sage. Mix until just melted into sauce. Remove from heat.
6. Add spaghetti to the pan and give it a toss to coat.
7. Serve and enjoy the savory pumpkin goodness. :)

 Some Notes:

*I did not have fresh sage unfortunately. This would be even better with fresh herbs instead of dried. I would have garnished it with some pan-fried sage leaf crumbles. Yum!
**If you're not vegetarian and are looking for some meat in this dish, try pancetta for an Italian flare or applewood smoked bacon. Skip the oil step in the beginning and cook your pancetta or bacon first and then add ingredients to the pan. You may want to drain off a bit of the fat prior though to keep the cholesterol down if you do so.
***The ratios are guesstimates for the recipe. When I cook for myself, I'm usually making recipes up off the top of my head and do very little measuring. Use your best judgement - it's what makes cooking an adventure!

Pumpkin Cakeballs with White Chocolate Coating and Pumpkin Pie Spice

Happy Autumn Equinox!!!

BTW, this post is dedicated to Matthew Goguen.

This all started with a Facebook chat during my Cataloguing class. I should have been paying closer attention to our discussion but I was on my computer and Pinterest was so inviting. Matt informed me that if you whisper "pumpkin spice latte" in the mirror three times, a white suburban woman will appear and tell you all the things she loves about fall. I couldn’t believe that my spirit could be called upon in this manner. Then he added that she would be wearing yoga pants. Alas, it cannot be me. I own no such things.

I did get a good laugh out of it and decided that I would have to find some time to do a post in honor of the first day of my favorite season – Autumn.

That’s when I had the accident. In my defense, I was exhausted. I haven’t had a day off for two weeks and I had been working all day. No, really! I’d been up since 6:00am and been at work until 6:00pm and then got home and decided that I had to make something to properly usher in the Fall season.

I had finished baking this cake, a Better Than Anything Pumpkin Poke Cake with caramel and bits of toffee on top of the Cool Whip cream layer over the sweetened condensed milk soaked cake. I didn’t get too far because in my effort to get the cake to cool a little faster so I could just go to bed, I removed the cake from the pan too soon. And. It. Broke.

Staring dismally at that pathetically dismantled yet delicious cake, I decided to save it all by doing something far more work intensive than I had intended. Cake pops. Only, without the pops. I have yet to find a truly fail proof method of keeping the cake ball on the pop stick.

I crumbled the cake up and put it in all different sized flat containers and stuck them all in the freezer to get the cake crumbs to cool completely.

Luckily, I had picked out the Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice cream cheese at the store last time I was there even though the likelihood of my putting it on a bagel was slim to none. After tasting it, I knew there was no need to add any sugar to it because it essentially tastes like concentrated pumpkin pie filling in cream cheese form. So you know it’s good.

I got to bed after mixing the cake crumbs and the pumpkin spice cream cheese together and rolling out about 45 cakeballs and sticking them in the freezer overnight. I would simply have to coat them in chocolate before work today.

Of course, since I didn’t plan on making these, there was not enough white candy melts left to coat all them. I have a bag sitting in the freezer to do on my first day off this Tuesday. (YEAH!)

Despite my sister’s snide reply of “How’s Fall working out for ya?” after I exclaimed over her disappointment with the end of Summer, I am still going to tell you all the reasons I love Fall.

Pumpkins

Apples

Leaves of Red and Gold

My Hair No Longer Acting Like A Barometer

Fall Outfits

Warm Days and Cold Nights

Pumpkin Beer

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Cake

Pumpkin EVERYTHING

The list goes on but I won’t.

Here’s how to make these pumpkin cakeballs with white chocolate candy coating and a dusting of pumpkin pie spice. Mmm!

Ingredients:

·         1 box yellow cake mix

·         15oz can of pumpkin puree [not pumpkin pie filling]

_____________________

·         8oz Pumpkin Spice cream cheese [I’m really not sure how you could substitute this since I didn't intend to create this recipe.]

_____________________

·         White chocolate candy melts (at least 2 bags, though you may need more)

·         Pumpkin pie spice

 Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Mix 15oz of pumpkin puree with the yellow cake mix. There is no need for the egg, water, and oil that the box directions will call for. You only need to mix the dry cake mix with the pumpkin puree.
   This is slow work by hand so just keep mixing until well incorporated. The batter will be thick and more like a bread dough consistency.
3. Transfer batter to a greased 9X9 baking pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes.
4. ALLOW CAKE TO COOL COMPLETELY. Unless you’re like me.
5. Remove corners and eat them because they’re delicious.
6. Crumble the cooled cake and mix with the Pumpkin Spice cream cheese until smooth and sticky.
7. Using a cookie scoop or a rounded teaspoon, scoop the mixture and then roll to create mini cake balls and place on a parchment paper lined baking tray.
8. Freeze cakeballs for at least 6 hours.
9. Follow the candy melt instructions for melting. I used the microwave because I had a small amount but the double boiler method will keep your chocolate hot and liquid longer than the microwave method will.
10. Roll frozen cake balls, one at a time, in the melted chocolate then place back on the parchment paper lined tray. Immediately dust with pumpkin pie spice or the chocolate will harden.
11. Allow them to come to room temp before you eat them because they are frozen solid and not as much fun to eat.
12. Celebrate Fall in Pumpkin style!

My bet is that these would be fantastic with orange colored candy melts and a dash of green on the top to make them look like mini pumpkins. I just didn't have the time for that. :)

I'll have to do the rest of these later because they're sooooo yummy.

Berry Stuffed French Toast

Warning: This is an “all the single ladies” moment. Maybe you’re like me and no one else is home when you’re cooking breakfast. This has been my life for the past year since I’ve been working the second shift at the library. Summer break for the college students, means summer break for the second shift...:( I’m stuck in limbo until I move away for my summer job.

My typical Morning-Limbo-Single-Lady-Breakfast is some kind of egg, toast, cheese, vegetarian sausage, and veggies combination. (I try to switch it up a bit to prevent boredom. I’m really not a huge fan of the accepted American breakfast food for this reason).

But this morning was different. Last night, a friend asked if I was still doing this blog. The answer is YES! However…time for amateur photoshoots is limited and I really hate my digital camera. Honestly, my phone takes a better picture most of the time. Someday, I’m going to learn how to take beautiful food pictures like the ones you’ll see on Foodgawker. I’m envious of those bloggers and their picture-taking-skills. Bear with me in the meantime. Please?

Berry and Cream cheese Stuffed French Toast For One Single Lady

(Okay, I guess a single gentleman could make it too…)

The Taming of the Roux

Original Recipe 

2 pieces of bread (I used Pepperidge Farms Light Seven Grain)

1-2 tablespoons cream cheese

Sliced strawberries

Blueberries

1 egg

Tbsp almond milk (or regular milk)

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp pumpkin spice

Tsp vanilla extract

*Notes: I’m allergic to dairy so I used Tofutti cream cheese spread and unsweetened almond milk. You can substitute regular dairy products without any problem. I promise it will be just as delicious. I wish I could eat it that way – it’s cheaper than buying dairy-free products. Also, use whatever bread you have on hand! I know there is a lot of hype out there about using sweeter breads like Challah for making French toast but this isn’t the kind of recipe you should have to go out of your way to buy ingredients to make. French toast, to my understanding, was originally a way to use up stale bread. You don’t have to wait for your bread to go stale but just keep it in mind that French toast is delicious no matter what kind of bread you use.

In a bowl, combine egg, almond milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice (use nutmeg if you don’t have any pumpkin spice). Make sure you whisk completely. You want the egg mixture to be smooth and completely emulsified.

Heat pan or griddle over medium-high, lightly coat with cooking spray and allow to come up to temp. Dip your bread into the egg mixture and drench all the way through. [I haven’t met anyone who actually wants a bite of egg clinging to their French toast] For this reason, it is very important that you mix your eggs well, and let any excess egg mixture drip off the bread before transferring to the hot pan.

Cook bread on one side for a minute then flip and cook on the other side for a minute. [If you’re using a thicker piece of bread, increase to 2 minutes per side.] Now spread your cream cheese on the toast while they are still on the pan. Add your fruit to one piece and cover with the other. Use your spatula to press the toast together for a minute, then flip and cook for another minute.

Yum! Slice on a diagonal, dust with confectioners’ sugar, top with more berries (perhaps some whipped cream – dairy free if you’re like me) and drizzle with a little maple syrup unless your strawberries are juicy enough. :D

Not a bad start to the day! Makes you actually like being single since you definitely don’t want to share this tasty breakfast.

There’s something about the cooking process that is magical with berries. I’d say that 9/10 times you eat your fruit as is but think about it – Apple pie and apple crisp: delicious, Bananas Foster: decadent, Peach Melba: say no more. The strawberries and blueberries only get slightly warmed in this process but it is just enough to get that pixie dust result that makes your tastebuds soar.

All those sparkles? It's because it's MAGICAL.

Oh, and you can easily double this recipe if you wanted to share it with someone or many someones.

Tofu Fried Couscous

If you've ventured this far into my post you must be intrigued. First you saw "tofu" and that didn't make you ignore it, and then you saw "couscous" and for some reason you're adventurous enough to check out what kind of dish can be made with the two of them. Think of it as a fusion of flavors that works so well you'll forget that they aren't usually on your plate.

Personally, couscous is something I'm still trying to conquer. I don't really like it without some kind of sauce because the texture is...funky. Anyway, this recipe came into being because I was trying to use some leftover couscous from my family's dinner. Strangely enough, I love tofu. Not something you hear very often - it's spongey and lacks any flavor on its own but its absorbent quality soaks up the flavors you prepare it with. First time tofu try-ers: don't eat plain tofu. Always eat with a sauce. And since I can't quite enjoy couscous without a sauce - this recipe is perfect for you!

It's a riff on Fried Rice, which I can't resist in any form. It's addictive and because its rice you can easily eat way too much without feeling full. Tricky stuff, that is. Sadly, when you order out at a lot of Chinese take-out restaurants, the fried rice is dripping with grease and only serves to contribute to feeling absolutely terrible about yourself after eating the whole container's worth...

Solution? Making it at home. Don't get me wrong, I order fried rice every time we get takeout from our local Chinese restaurants and eat it with total abandon. When I have the time and the ingredients on hand though, I like to make my own. It comes together so quickly since you always start with leftover rice. But I didn't have leftover rice...I had leftover couscous and a container of water packed diced tofu.

Tofu Fried Couscous 

with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Taming of the Roux Original Recipe

Serves 2-3

• tsp garlic, minced
• 1/2 small red pepper, julienned
• 1/4 c. yellow onions, sliced
• 2.8 oz container of cubed tofu packed in water - drain and dry on paper towels for 30 mins
• tbsp soy sauce
• tsp sriracha 
• tbsp Sake or rice wine vinegar

___________________________________________

• 2 tsps sambal oolek
• tbsp soy sauce
• tbsp creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 tsp red curry paste
• tsp fish sauce
• 2 tsps Sake or rice wine vinegar

___________________________________________

• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 c. cold leftover couscous
• lime wedges for garnish
• cilantro for garnish
• green onions for garnish

First, prepare your onions and peppers while heating a pan over medium-high heat with a couple teaspoons of olive oil or if you have it on hand, Japanese sesame oil (it's expensive stuff so don't worry if you're using olive oil). After the pan is hot, toss your onions and peppers into the pan with a little salt and pepper and saute until the onions start to look translucent but the peppers are still a little crisp. Add garlic and a tablespoon of Sake or rice wine vinegar to the pan. (Careful with the Sake! It won't ignite but the pan should be hot and it will sizzle very loudly.) Saute until peppers look soft, remove and set aside in a bowl for the time being.

Add your tofu, sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with soy sauce (about a tablespoon) and a touch of sriracha. Give them a stir and set your timer for 2 mins.

While your tofu is in the pan, combine the second set of ingredients: sambal oolek through 2 teaspoons Sake or rice wine vinegar in a bowl. Stir until the peanut butter is completely mixed. Set aside.

Turn your attention back to the tofu. Give it another stir and add a little Sake if you want. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add your onions and peppers back to the pan. Add couscous to the pan. Stir (it's a stir fry; there's a lot of stirring involved.)

Scramble one egg and then add to hot pan. Stir! Make sure your egg mixes in with the rest of the ingredients. There will be pieces of scrambled egg - that's traditional. Keep stirring until egg is cooked through. Remove pan from heat.

Heat your peanut butter mixture in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. (I've done it in a sauce pan before but I was whipping this together quickly when I made it. I didn't bother with the stove for the sauce and the microwave worked just as well).

Dole out a serving of the tofu fried couscous and drizzle with the warm peanut sauce. Garnish with lime and other fixings!

While the name makes it sound like some weird concoction that's only missing the kitchen sink, it certainly doesn't taste that way. The spicy peanut sauce gets soaked up by the tofu and the couscous gets a nice coating. All the flavors make for one great Asian fusion dish that you'll definitely want seconds of but won't feel half as guilty for having if you'd had your typical take-out fried rice.

Wanted to make sure I got a post in for April! I have an interesting summer ahead of me so we'll see how much time I'll have for cooking and sharing what I've cooked. :)

Soooooooooo much better than takeout.

Easter Pizza Rustica

HAPPY EASTER! 

(To those of you who celebrate it).

I didn't want the month of March slip away before I had a chance to post about my foodventures. School is grueling and takes up most of my computer time. I have been doing a lot of vegetarian cooking since Ash Wednesday but staging and then taking pictures of my food would have taken me away from my studies for longer than I could afford. Expect to hear about Indian Veggie Curry and Buffalo Style Cauliflower in the future!

Allow me to present my Easter offering. Pizza Rustica! 

As you can see, it doesn't look like the pizza you order out or make at home.

Nor does it look like the Rustic Pizza from Papa Gino's if you live near one.

This is a pie. A breakfast pie. And it is absolutely wonderful.

Full of three different meats (my inner half-starved carnivore has been dreaming of them), and ricotta, mozzarella, romano, and eggs, this is one hell of a pie. Move over quiche. There's a new (old) breakfast pie on the table.

Even though I'm half Italian, Pizza Rustica wasn't something that we had at Easter (or ever for that matter). I didn't encounter it until a few years ago while dating my ex. His stepmother would make it every Easter and lo and behold, I got to try it for the first time. Then I was scolded for not upholding my Italian heritage by having it every Easter. While it was good, I wasn't blown away by its flavor or texture which was a little too spongey from the eggs, nevertheless, I found myself fascinated by it. I set out to find the best recipes for Pizza Rustica, ones that were less egg and more dense, and to come up with my own family recipe for it. New Easter tradition.

Recipe researching commenced.

I decided that this year, since there was no way my ex was going to bring me Pizza Rustica, I would make it for my family to enjoy after the 7:30 mass this morning. This means making it ahead of time! Which you should do, because this pie is meant to be eaten at room temperature. It tastes delicious warm too, that was how most of my family ate it, but if you want to be traditional, let it cool or warm to room temp before serving.

Pizza Rustica

The Taming of the Roux Original Recipe

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 13oz whole milk ricotta
• 3 egg yolks, beaten
• 2 handfuls grated romano cheese
• 1 handful shredded mozzarella cheese
• tsp ground black pepper
• 3-4 oz pancetta, diced
• 4 oz boiled ham, diced
• 4 oz prosciutto, diced (ask the man or woman behind the deli counter to cut a 4oz block off)
• 1/4 cup sweet onion, diced
• tsp garlic, minced
• prepared pie crust (Yeah, I cheated. We don't all have time to make dough at home).

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375. Make sure your cooking rack is on the lowest rung.

While the oven is heating, saute your onions, garlic, and meats until onions are translucent. Set aside to cool.

Mix your ricotta and egg yolks, stir in romano and mozzarella cheeses, then add the onions and meats to the ricotta mixture.

Press your preferred pie dough into the bottom of the pie plate. (Our pie plate is 9 inches and prepared crusts are made to fit an 8 inch pie plate. If yours is like mine, you'll have to roll the pie crust out a little to make it fit.)

Fill the bottom layer of the crust with the ricotta mixture. Top with the second layer of crust, rolling out first if necessary, and fold edges over the bottom layer to press and seal. You can use your preferred method of dressing the edges of the crust. (I pinched mine.) Then use a fork to pierce the top of your pie all over. Sprinkle a little romano over the top.

Bake in the oven on the lowest rung for the first 30 minutes uncovered. Use foil or edge protectors to cover the edges of the crust then continue baking for 15 minutes. (Total oven time 45 minutes).

Allow to cool to room temp before serving (if you want to be traditional). If not, allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

P.S. Dad wants me to make this every morning so he can have 3 pieces for breakfast every day. It's really a tasty dish with a meaty and salty cheesy flavor but it's not the healthiest. I do NOT recommend eating it every day. :)

Italian Cream Cake

Happy Birthday, Mom!

It's my mom's birthday so I told her I would bake her anything she wanted. She chose an Italian Cream Cake from Cooking Light. While I've been wanting to try this for a long time, I've never actually made a layer cake by myself before. Please don't hold my shoddy frosting work against me or this cake for that matter because it is incredibly moist and lightly flavored with vanilla and touch of coconut. And those little specks you see in the cake, those are finely chopped toasted pecans. Oh this cake is so worth the extra work that went into making it.

When I say extra work, I really just mean the process of whipping egg whites then gently folding them into the batter. It's really not a big deal but this cake will take you longer to mix than to bake.

Cooking Light as their name explicitly implies, lightens the traditional Italian Cream Cake by a number of methods, one of which was to use Neufchatel (1/3 less fat cream cheese) to make the frosting. If I'm going to make Italian cream anything, I'm going to use mascarpone. That was my only change to the recipes since its my first time making it.

First time stacking and frosting a cake too. And man did it suck! I was so angry at the cake and the frosting that I was cursing up a storm while inexpertly spreading the frosting that was quickly becoming unspreadable! (Not a word). The F bomb was dropped a few times.

I only felt worse about my lack of cake decorating skills when I saw the cake dad ordered from his Italian baker friend...jerk. Look how perfect that damn cake is next to mine. I just want to smash the perfection out of it. 

Anyway: Happy Birthday, Mom!