Tag: Quick and Easy

Tofu and Corn Rice

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Have a rice cooker? This easy summer dish couldn’t possibly be easier. Adapted from Donabe, a little bit of quinoa adds extra nutrition to this sweet and savory side.

Tofu and corn rice
Ingredients:
  • 2 rice cups jasmine rice, rinsed
  • 1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 3/4 cups water
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sake
  • 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 7 ounces firm tofu, drained and pressed
  • Kernels from 1 ear of corn
  • 1/2 cup rehydrated wood ear mushrooms, sliced into small pieces
  1. Place the rice, quinoa, and water in a rice cooker and cook according to rice cooker instructions.
  2. Meanwhile, make the sauce: in a small bowl, combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sake, chicken bouillon, salt, and pepper, and set aside.
  3. Heat the sesame oil in a saute pan and saute the garlic for 1 minute over medium heat. Crumble the tofu into small pieces and add to the pan. Stir, continuing to break up the tofu with a wooden spoon and cook for about 4 minutes, or until the tofu is lightly browned. Add the corn and wood ear mushrooms and saute for 3 more minutes, until cooked through.
  4. Add the sauce to the pan and turn the heat to medium-high. Saute until the liquid is almost absorbed, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  5. Once the rice has finished cooking, uncover and gently fold in the corn and tofu mixture. Serve warm.

Tofu Crumbles with Coconut Rice

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The first time I made this dish I accidentally fooled everyone into thinking they were eating ground meat. I didn’t mean to — I love tofu, for what it’s worth. It’s just that’s how inconspicuous the tofu is here. It absorbs all the umami-laden flavor of the seasonings, including the chili crisp, which does a lot of heavy lifting. (No such thing as too much chili crisp, amirite?) Fragrant, slightly sweet coconut rice and crunchy cucumbers round out this heavy hitter of a one-dish meal.

Tofu crumbles with coconut rice
Ingredients:
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed
  • 3 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 pound firm tofu, rinsed and drained well
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup chili crisp (I recommend Big Spoon Chili Crisp)
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
  • Torn basil leaves, for serving
  1. Whisk coconut milk, salt, and 1 cup water in a cold medium saucepan to combine. Add rice and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover pan and reduce heat to low; cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let sit covered 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.
  2. Toss cucumbers, vinegar, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl to combine and let sit until ready to serve.
  3. Crumble tofu into small pieces (about the size of a pea). Heat avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add tofu, shallots, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tofu is crisped, 11–13 minutes. Add chili crisp, soy sauce, and sesame oil and cook, stirring often, until well coated, about 1 minute. Stir in peanuts.
  4. Divide coconut rice and tofu among plates and top with marinated cucumbers and basil.

Sesame Noodles with Cucumber and Nori

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I’m always finding ways to sneak in nori into my meals. Avocado toast? Sprinkle some nori. Dumpling soup? Stir in some nori. Summery noodles? Nori, of course.

Cold sesame noodles with cucumber and nori
Ingredients:
  • 4 packages dried ramen (about 12 ounces total)
  • 4 Persian cucumbers
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup dried nori seaweed, torn into small 1-inch pieces
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  1. Slice cucumbers into thin rounds, then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, then drain and gently squeeze out water.
  2. Soak nori in cold water until reconstituted, about 5 minutes, then drain. Gently combine the cucumber and nori in a medium bowl and set aside.
  3. Boil noodles according to package directions until al dente. In a colander, drain and rinse under cold water. Gently toss noodles with sesame oil to prevent them from sticking.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar to achieve the consistency of a creamy salad dressing. If it’s too thick, whisk in a few tablespoons of water.
  5. To serve, place the noodles in a large serving bowl and top with the cucumber nori mixture, green onions, roasted sesame seeds, lemon zest, and a drizzle of sesame oil. Gently mix and serve.

Yuzu Kosho Pesto Rice

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This is a simple dish, but it’s much greater than the sum of its parts. I love anything with pesto, but would have never thought to add spicy, citrusy yuzu kosho to it. Adapted from Donabe, I usually serve this with good-quality tinned sardines.

Yuzu kosho pesto rice

Ingredients:

  • 2 rice cups (1 1/2 cups) short-grain white rice, rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 cups basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon yuzu kosho
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  1. Cook the rice in a rice cooker according to directions.
  2. Meanwhile, make the pesto: in a small saucepan, toast the pine nuts over medium-low heat, stirring and watching carefully until pine nuts are lightly golden, about five minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. In a food processor, combine 1 tablespoon of the pine nuts with the garlic, basil, olive oil, yuzu kosho, soy sauce, and lemon juice.
  3. Once the rice has finished cooking, uncover and add the pesto, the remaining pine nuts, and the Parmesan cheese. Gently mix to combine and serve.

Herbed Shrimp Skewers

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These lightly breaded herby shrimp are so versatile. Want an easy appetizer? Check. A main dish for a vaguely Mediterranean dinner? You got it. These broil fast, so pay attention.

Herbed shrimp skewers
Ingredients:
  • 2 pounds shrimp, peeled
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  1. Put the olive and avocado oils in a large bowl and add the shrimp, mixing them to coat. Add the bread crumbs, garlic, and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Toss the shrimp to give them an even coating of bread crumbs. Cover and let marinate for at least one hour.
  2. Thread the shrimp onto skewers, curling them as you do so that the tail is skewered in the middle. Arrange the skewered shrimp on a baking sheet fitted with a grill.
  3. Preheat the broiler. Place the baking sheet with the shrimp about six inches from the broiler and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until shrimp are cooked through.