Meatless Monday: Tofu Bourguignon (recipe, pareve)

Tofu Bourguignon P Serves: 2

This is a delicious vegetarian rendition of the traditional Boeuf Bourguignon .

Ingredients

4 ounces white mushrooms

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 ½ cups dry red wine

2 cups vegetable broth

4 ounces fresh pearl onions (peeled) or frozen white onions-defrosted

1 ½-2 cups diced tofu

1 bay leaf                       

1 large garlic clove- pressed

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon crushed thyme

½ teaspoon crushed marjoram

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons non-dairy margarine

4 tablespoons flour

Equipment

Medium skillet

Small saucepan

Slotted spoon

Whisk

Directions

Wipe mushrooms clean. Cut the smaller ones in quarters and the larger ones in eighths. Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium high heat in skillet. Add mushrooms. Toss quickly so that they brown lightly. Remove mushrooms from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave any mushroom liquid in the pan.

Add remaining ½ cup wine, 1cup vegetable broth, bay leaf, garlic, tomato paste, thyme, marjoram, salt, pepper and onions to skillet. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add mushrooms and diced tofu to skillet and mix gently.

You may feel that you have enough gravy already and can skip this last step but please don’t. The paste you are about to make to thicken the simmered wine and vegetable broth gives the sauce a beautiful sheen and extra level of flavor.

Pour remaining wine and vegetable broth in a saucepan. Stir well. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer. Simmer 10 minutes. Cream margarine and flour together.  Whisk it into liquid stirring vigorously until sauce has thickened. Pour over mushrooms, onions and tofu and mix well. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve tofu bourguignon with rice or noodles.

Note: This recipe gets even better when prepared one or two days in advance.   

Meatless Monday: Grapes Leaves Stuffed with Herbed Rice (recipe, pareve)

This is a great recipe to help Ashkenazim use up the rice in their pantry before Passover, or a great Passover recipe for my Sephardic Friends.  Also a great side dish or appetizer for any other time in the year!

Grape Leaves Stuffed with Herbed Rice P Yield: 36-40 Stuffed Grape Leaves

The rice, flavored with cinnamon and allspice and then mixed with the Turkish trilogy of parsley, mint and dill is delicious on its own.  Rolled in grape leaves, each bite is a treat and a trip to exotic lands.
Ingredients
1 bottle preserved grape leaves
3 tablespoons + 2/3 cup olive oil
1 large onion- peeled and minced
3 large garlic cloves-peeled and minced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
3 teaspoons sugar
1 cup Basmati rice-rinsed
1 cup each:  finely chopped-parsley, dill, mint
Salt and pepper
1 cup water
Juice of 1 large lemon
Equipment
2 Dutch ovens
Baking parchment
Baking pellets
Directions

1. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in Dutch oven over medium flame. Add minced onion and garlic and sauté until they are very soft. Stir in cinnamon, allspice and sugar. Mix well. Stir in rice. Pour in just enough water to cover the rice-about 2 cups. Bring to a boil. Cover pot and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer 10-15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.  Taste. The rice should have a bite. Stir in all the herbs. Taste again. Season with salt and pepper. Let rice cool.
2. While rice is cooling, drain grape leaves and place them in a mixing bowl. Cover with very hot water. Let them soak about 15 minutes before gently separating them with two forks. Drain leaves and then soak them in cold water for 3-4 minutes. Drain leaves completely. Cut off any stems.
3. Spread grape leaves out on a flat surface. Take a scant tablespoon of rice stuffing and lightly shape it into a log. Place it toward the stem end. Fold the bottom of the leaf over the rice and then fold the sides in. Roll grape leaf tightly so that all the rice is enclosed. Place stuffed leaf in Dutch oven. Repeat process until all the leaves are stuffed. Make sure you pack them as tightly as possible in the pot.
4. Mix 2/3 cup olive oil with one cup water, sugar and lemon juice. Pour over stuffed grape leaves. The liquid should come up to half of the top layer. Cover the top of grape leaves with a piece of baking parchment.  Cover Dutch oven and simmer 45 minutes. Let grape leaves cool in the pan before arranging them on a platter and serving them with sliced lemon.  You can also cool them completely and freeze them with waxed paper between the layers. Defrost completely before steaming them just to heat them through.

Meatless Monday: Fried Tofu with Spicy Sweet Glaze (recipe, pareve)

Fried Tofu with Spicy Sweet Glaze P Yield: 8 slices

The pressed tofu soaks up all the wonderful flavors  from the ginger, molasses,  pineapple, sesame oil and pepper. When it’s fried, you get to enjoy the meatier texture of the tofu together with the sweet and spicy sauce with a slight crunch from the toasted sesame seeds.
Prep time: 60 min.  Marinate: several hours or overnight Cooking time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 container extra firm tofu
3 tablespoons tamari
1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple
3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon molasses
1 cinnamon stick
1 poblano pepper-washed, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 inch fresh gingerroot-peeled and sliced
1 large clove garlic-minced
1 small onion-peeled and sliced thinly
Flour for dusting tofu slices
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
EQUIPMENT
Mixing bowl
Medium skillet
Oven to table serving dish
DIRECTIONS

1. Drain tofu and put it on a plate. Cover tofu with waxed paper and weight it down with a large heavy can. Check tofu after an hour or so and pour off liquid. Continue to weight it down until tofu has shrunk in size and given up most of its liquid. Starting from the smaller end, slice it into eight pieces and arrange them in a single layer in a dish that can hold the marinade.
2. Pour tamari, crushed pineapple, two teaspoons sesame oil and molasses into mixing bowl. Stir well.
3. Add all remaining ingredients except for sesame seeds. Stir marinade and pour over tofu slices. Marinate for two or three hours before turning slices over and marinating again. This can be done overnight.
4. Spread about ½ cup flour on a flat surface. Gently remove tofu slices from marinade and dredge them in flour shaking off any excess.
5. Pour just enough vegetable oil in skillet to cover bottom of pan. Add remaining teaspoon sesame oil. Heat over medium flame. Brown tofu slices on each side until they are golden brown. Arrange in a single or overlapping layer in serving dish. Set aside.
6. Remove cinnamon stick and add marinade ingredients to skillet. Sauté until onions and peppers are soft. Add a little more vegetable oil if necessary. Pour sautéed vegetables over tofu slices. Add sesame seeds to same pan and stir quickly until they toast. Sprinkle seeds over tofu. Serve hot or at room temperature.

A Vegetarian Entree from Kosher Cookbook: Fried Tofu with Spicy Sweet Glaze

Thought you didn't like tofu? I dare you to try this succulent dish without becoming a convert!

Fried Tofu with Spicy Sweet Glaze P Yield: 8 slices

The pressed tofu soaks up all the wonderful flavors  from the ginger, molasses,  pineapple, sesame oil and pepper. When it’s fried, you get to enjoy the meatier texture of the tofu together with the sweet and spicy sauce with a slight crunch from the toasted sesame seeds.
Prep time: 60 min.  Marinate: several hours or overnight Cooking time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 container extra firm tofu
3 tablespoons tamari
1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple
3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon molasses
1 cinnamon stick
1 poblano pepper-washed, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 inch fresh gingerroot-peeled and sliced
1 large clove garlic-minced
1 small onion-peeled and sliced thinly
Flour for dusting tofu slices
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
EQUIPMENT
Mixing bowl
Medium skillet
Oven to table serving dish
DIRECTIONS

1. Drain tofu and put it on a plate. Cover tofu with waxed paper and weight it down with a large heavy can. Check tofu after an hour or so and pour off liquid. Continue to weight it down until tofu has shrunk in size and given up most of its liquid. Starting from the smaller end, slice it into eight pieces and arrange them in a single layer in a dish that can hold the marinade.
2. Pour tamari, crushed pineapple, two teaspoons sesame oil and molasses into mixing bowl. Stir well.
3. Add all remaining ingredients except for sesame seeds. Stir marinade and pour over tofu slices. Marinate for two or three hours before turning slices over and marinating again. This can be done overnight.
4. Spread about ½  cup flour on a flat surface. Gently remove tofu slices from marinade and dredge them in flour shaking off any excess.
5. Pour just enough vegetable oil in skillet to cover bottom of pan. Add remaining teaspoon sesame oil. Heat over medium flame. Brown tofu slices on each side until they are golden brown. Arrange in a single or overlapping layer in serving dish. Set aside.
6. Remove cinnamon stick and add marinade ingredients to skillet. Sauté until onions and peppers are soft. Add a little more vegetable oil if necessary. Pour sautéed vegetables over tofu slices. Add sesame seeds to same pan and stir quickly until they toast. Sprinkle seeds over tofu. Serve hot or at room temperature.