Chicken-Tofu Tsukune

 

I got this recipe from the Dinner – A Love Story newsletter, and it is adapted from Make It Japanese: Simple Recipes for Everyone, by Rie McClenny. I made them smaller and baked them in the oven instead of pan-frying them. These meatballs were great! We give them an all-too-rare 4 thumbs up, so I definitely have to make them again! The amounts below make 4 generous servings.

I served it with an Asian slaw mix and shirataki pasta, but was disappointed with the latter; I found the texture too slippery, and the taste too bland. I ate leftovers in a bowl, frying the leftover “rice” to give it some taste and texture, and I threw in leftover quick-pickled carrots and avocado.

For the sweet soy sauce
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sake (I used sherry)
2 Tbsp. mirin
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sugar

For the meatballs
8 oz. firm tofu
1 lb. ground chicken
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. potato starch or cornstarch
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
toasted white sesame seeds for garnish

For the sweet soy sauce
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar. Whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside.

For the meatballs
Place the tofu on a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside for 10 minutes and gently press to remove excess water.

Transfer the tofu to a medium bowl. Using your hands, a whisk, or a potato masher, break apart the tofu and mash until finely broken down. The texture should be similar to ground meat.

Add the ground chicken to the tofu and mix until fully combined and sticky. The mixture should hold together. Add the scallions, potato starch, salt, and pepper. Mix well until fully combined.

Shape the meatball mixture into large balls (about 3 tablespoons per meatball – mine were smaller). If the mixture sticks to your hands, lightly wet your hands with water. Slightly flatten the meatballs to a 1-inch thickness. You should have 14 to 16 meatballs (I got 21).

In a large cast-iron skillet or nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Working in batches, cook the meatballs until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a plate. (I opted to do this in the oven instead, so I baked the chicken-tofu meatballs for 30 minutes at 350 °F.)

Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel. Add the sweet soy sauce and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until the sauce is thick and syrupy, about 2 minutes. Return the meatballs to the skillet and coat with the sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired, and serve immediately.

Golden Tehina Shakes

 

I got this recipe from Soom, though it is originally from Israeli Soul by Michael Solomonov and Stephen Cook and it is served at Goldie’s in Pennsylvania. Honestly, I was just interested in a vegan shake with tahini, and I knew the Little Prince would like it because he likes coffee flavors in desserts!

You do need a bit of planning to make this, since you have to make coffee syrup and also freeze the shake mixture ahead of time. Note that this makes too much coffee syrup for a single recipe, so I froze the rest in an ice cube tray and plan to use it to make more shakes when the weather gets warmer.

For the Turkish coffee syrup
2 cups water
6 Tbsp. Turkish coffee
6 Tbsp. regular ground coffee
6 Tbsp. sugar
¾ tsp. ground cardamom
¼ tsp. kosher salt

For the Goldie Tehina shakes
½ cup Soom Premium Tahini (or your favorite brand)
½ cup sugar
½ tsp. kosher salt
3 cups plain unsweetened almond milk
¼ cup of Turkish coffee syrup (or your favorite flavored syrup)
optional: chopped chocolate or other toppings


For the Turkish coffee syrup
Combine the water, Turkish coffee, regular ground coffee, sugar, ground cardamom, and kosher salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.

Bring to a boil, remove the pan from the heat, and let steep for 30 minutes.

Place a coffee filter inside a fine-mesh sleeve and set it over a jar. Strain the syrup into the jar.

The syrup will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 month.

For the Goldie Tehina shakes
Combine the Soom tahini, sugar, kosher salt, and plain unsweetened almond milk in a blender. Process until smooth. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays (you’ll need three standard-size trays) and freeze overnight.

The next day, pop the tahini ice cubes out of the trays into the blender. Pour in a little more almond milk to get the blender started and blend just until the ice cubes are completely broken down and the mixture thickens.

Add the Turkish coffee syrup and blend for a few more seconds. Taste and add a bit more syrup if you like.

Pour the milkshake into glasses and serve immediately, with optional toppings like chopped chocolate.

Kale Pasta Sauce

 

I tried this recipe by Joshua McFadden for a simple kale sauce. And it was awesome! We give it a rare 4 thumbs up! I used it with pasta here, as a side to maple-glazed yakitori chicken, but it would also be good with roasted vegetables. Note that the sauce itself is vegan, though not the parmesan (or main dish!) I used here.

2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
kosher salt and black pepper
1 lb. kale, any variety works here; thick ribs/tough stems removed
8 oz. dried pasta, such as rigatoni or pappardelle
¾ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Set a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil.

In a small skillet, put 2 cloves garlic and ¼ cup olive oil. Place over medium heat, and sauté until the garlic begins to sizzle. Immediately reduce the heat to low, and cook until garlic is light golden-brown, soft, and aromatic (about 5 - 7 minutes). Remove from the heat, and transfer to a large blender cup or the base of a stand blender. Set aside.

Once the water in the pot is boiling, generously season with salt. Add 1 pound kale and boil until tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Use tongs to remove kale from the pot and carefully transfer to the blender cup/base.

To the boiling water, add 8 ounces dried pasta and cook until al dente, per package directions. Transfer 1 cup of the pasta water to a heatproof measuring cup. Drain the pasta, then transfer back to the pot.

Blend the kale, oil, and garlic until it resembles a thick puree. Continue blending, adding about a tablespoon of pasta water at a time, until you achieve a uniform, silky texture. Don't rush this; you want a very smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Note: Use caution with hot liquids in a stand blender. Prior to blending, remove the small cap from the blender's lid and cover the opening with a kitchen towel to safely release steam. Initiate the blending process at a low speed, slowly increasing the speed in stages to prevent splashing and to ensure a consistent purée.)

Toss half of the kale purée with the drained pasta and half of the ¾ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. If the sauce feels dry, stir in more kale purée. If needed, add a bit more reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce until it's saucy and nicely clings to the noodles. Season with salt and pepper. (If your sauce feels way too loose, you can put the pot back on low heat, stirring continuously until it thickens.)

To serve, divide the pasta into serving bowls, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, and garnish with the remaining cheese.

Poulet yakitori laqué à l'érable

 

Voici une recette de Coup de Pouce que j’ai adaptée. Je n’ai pas de miel à l’érable, et honnêtement, j’imagine que c’est le cas de la plupart des gens, alors j’ai utilisé un mélange de miel et de sirop d’érable, ce que j’écris ci-dessous. Et je n’ai pas fait de brochettes, en fin de compte, j’ai fait cuire le tout sur une plaque. Quand même, c’était délicieux! J’ai servi ça avec une sauce au chou frisé sur des pâtes.

Pour la laque
¼ tasse de miel
¼ tasse de sirop d’érable
1 cuillère à table d’huile de tournesol
2 cuillères à thé de moutarde de Dijon
1 à 2 gousses d’ail, hachées
sel et poivre

Pour les brochettes
2 à 3 poitrines de poulet, en fines lanières
12 tranches de pancetta
2 oignons verts, en tronçons de 1 po (2,5 cm)
graines de sésame , pour garnir

Préchauffer le barbecue à puissance élevée. Huiler la grille. Faire tremper des bâtonnets en bois dans l’eau 15 minutes au moins. Ignorer cette étape pour des pics en métal.

Dans un bol, mélanger les ingrédients de la laque. Diviser en deux et réserver la moitié pour accompagner les brochettes. Mariner les lanières de poulet dans la laque restante pendant 20 minutes (conserver la laque pour badigeonner).

Enfiler les morceaux de poulet en serpentin sur les brochettes. Intercaler des tranches de pancetta pliées sur elles-mêmes et des tronçons d’oignon vert. (J’ai plutôt placé le tout sur une plaque à cuisson recouverte d’un papier parchemin.)

Griller les brochettes de 2 à 3 minutes de chaque côté (ou jusqu’à ce que le poulet soit cuit), en badigeonnant de la laque restante dans les dernières minutes de cuisson. (Dans mon cas, j’ai fait cuire 20 minutes à 400 °F.) Garnir de graines de sésame et servir les brochettes avec la sauce d’accompagnement réservée (n’ayant pas été en contact avec la viande).

Almond Joy Protein Overnight Oatmeal

 I tried two different kinds of overnight chocolate oatmeal recently. First was this chocolate oatmeal by Minimalist Baker. Honestly, it was good, but Minimalist Baker has this weird thing where it doesn’t want me posting one of their recipes (which is not copyrighted), though it’s fine with me reposting one of their photos (which are copyrighted). I don’t get it, but anyway, if you want that recipe, you can follow the link.

Then there was this Almond Joy protein overnight oatmeal from Kim’s Cravings, which has the advantage of containing more protein so that you feel satiated for longer. And it was good! I would use more liquid next time, and more cocoa powder. I do feel like the toppings, whichever you choose, are essential here!

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
2 scoops chocolate protein powder (I used vanilla protein powder + chocolate supergreens powder)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. coconut extract
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or lactose-free milk of choice; see note above)
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
½ Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder (or more, to taste)
1-2 Tbsp. chia seeds (optional)
optional toppings: chopped almonds, shredded coconut, chocolate syrup, fruit, and/or stevia packets

In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients together (except for toppings).

Divide mixture (1 cup each) between 2 bowls, mugs, or mason jars. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 2 hours) so the oats soften and absorb the liquid.

Just before serving, add a splash of milk, toppings and enjoy cold, or microwave for 30-60 seconds to enjoy warm!

Banh Mi-Inspired Pork Burgers

 

I got this banh mi-inspired pork burger recipe from Real Simple. It should be noted that I don’t like spicy stuff, so I only used 1 teaspoon of sriracha in the burger patties; I also reduced the amount of fish sauce (the amount below is mine); and finally, I only used plain mayonnaise instead of making a special dressing. Honestly, I really liked these burgers!

½ cup water
½ cup rice vinegar
6 Tbsp. light brown sugar, divided
2 ½ tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 ½ cups matchstick carrots (from a 10-oz. pkg.)
1 ½ cups mayonnaise
5 Tbsp. sriracha, divided (see note above)
3 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic (from about 9 cloves), divided
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 lb. ground pork
1/3 cup finely chopped shallot
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus sprigs for topping
4 tsp. cornstarch
8 brioche buns, toasted

Heat water, vinegar, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan, stirring occasionally, until boiling and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in carrots, spreading evenly to submerge as much as possible.

Stir together mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons sriracha, and 1 tablespoon garlic in a medium bowl.

Whisk fish sauce and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons sriracha (I only used 1 teaspoon), and 1 ½ teaspoons salt in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in pork, shallot, cilantro, cornstarch, and remaining 2 tablespoons garlic. Shape pork mixture into 8 (4-inch) patties. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Preheat grill to medium-high (400 °F to 450 °F) and lightly oil grates. Grill patties until an instant-read thermometer inserted in center reads 160 °F, 4 to 5 minutes per side. (I just cooked these in a pan.)

Spread mayonnaise mixture over cut sides of buns. Place 1 patty on each bottom bun. Drain carrots; top patties with carrots, and cilantro sprigs. Cover with top halves of buns.

Salsa au cantaloup et au concombre

 

Voici une petite recette estivale toute simple, encore tirée de Coup de Pouce. C’était délicieux! Je l’ai servie avec des chips sans céréales de marque Siete, délicieuses également!

½ petit cantaloup, pelé, épépiné, en petits dés (environ 2 tasses)
2 concombres libanais, pelés, en petits dés
1 petit piment thaï, haché finement (je l’ai omis)
½ tasse de coriandre fraîche, légèrement tassée, hachée
¼ tasse d’oignon rouge, haché finement
1 lime (jus seulement)
1 cuillère à table d’huile d'olive
sel et poivre

Mélanger tous les ingrédients dans un bol. La salsa est meilleure la journée même.

Beignes au four glacés à l'érable

 

J’aime bien les beignes au four, parce que les enfants les adorent même si c’est vraiment santé comparé à des beignes traditionnels. C’est ici une recette de Coup de Pouce. Je l’ai aimée, mais le glaçage était un peu trop liquide, alors je vous recommanderais d’être prudents avec le lait et le sirop d’érable.

Pour les beignes
1 1/3 tasse de farine
1/3 tasse de cassonade, tassée
1 cuillère à thé de poudre à pâte
½ cuillère à thé de cannelle moulue
¼ cuillère à thé de bicarbonate de soude
1 pincée de sel
1/3 tasse de beurre sans lactose, fondu, puis tempéré légèrement
1/3 tasse de sirop d'érable
1 œuf
1/3 tasse de crème sure sans lactose
1/3 tasse de lait sans lactose
1 cuillère à thé d'extrait de vanille

Pour le glaçage
1 tasse de sucre glace
2 cuillères à table de sirop d'érable (voir note plus haut)
½ à 1 cuillère à table de lait (voir note plus haut)
1 cuillère à thé d’extrait de vanille
sucre d'érable, pour garnir (facultatif)

Pour les beignes
Préchauffer le four à 400 °F. Huiler un moule à beignes au four de 12 cavités (ou 2 moules de 6 cavités chacun). Réserver.

Dans un grand bol, mélanger les ingrédients secs au fouet. Réserver. Dans un deuxième bol, bien mélanger le reste des ingrédients. Ajouter, en deux fois, les ingrédients humides aux ingrédients secs. Mélanger jusqu’à consistance homogène, sans plus. Un peu à la fois, si nécessaire, transvider le mélange dans une poche à pâtisserie ou un grand sac à glissière percé dans un coin et remplir les cavités du moule aux deux tiers.

Cuire les beignes au centre du four de 8 à 10 minutes ou jusqu’à ce qu’ils soient bien gonflés et dorés. Placer le moule sur une grille et laisser refroidir 10 minutes. Démouler délicatement les beignes et les laisser refroidir complètement sur la grille (environ 30 minutes.)

Pour le glaçage et l’assemblage
Dans un bol, fouetter tous les ingrédients (je recommande d’y aller doucement avec les liquides).

Tremper chaque beigne dans le bol de glaçage, jusqu’à la moitié environ. Retourner délicatement et secouer pour retirer l’excès de glaçage. Déposer les beignes sur la grille et saupoudrer d’un peu de sucre d’érable, si désiré. Laisser le glaçage prendre avant de déguster, soit environ 30 minutes. (Les beignes se conserveront 3 jours dans un contenant hermétique, au réfrigérateur, ou 3 mois au congélateur.)

Sesame-Ginger Potato Salad

 Sometimes, when I tear recipes out of a magazine, I end up stalling on making them because there might be different recipes on each side of the same sheet of paper, which means that I can’t just make one recipe, cut it out, and file it, because then I’ll lose the second recipe. That’s what happened with this spread from the July/August 2022 edition of Real Simple, which had two salad recipes I wanted to try. I finally decided to just plow ahead and make both of them on consecutive weeks.

First was a cornbread panzanella that I served for lunch, with a hard-boiled egg for protein. It was good, but as much as I like cornbread, I think I prefer more savory panzanellas. The other recipe that had caught my eye was this sesame-ginger potato salad, which was so good! This is one I will have to make again. We all really loved the Asian-inspired flavors in this dish.

The amounts below make 8 large servings; consider halving it if you want less. I also reduced the amount of fish sauce; the quantities below are mine.

3 lbs. red baby new potatoes
¼ cup lower-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 3 or 4 limes)
2 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger (from a 2-in. piece)
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. fish sauce
2 tsp. Asian chili-garlic sauce, such as sambal oelek (optional)
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for cooking potatoes
4 cups shredded red cabbage (from 1 head)
¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
4 scallions, thinly sliced (about ½ cup), plus more for serving
3 Tbsp. toasted white and/or black sesame seeds

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Reduce heat to low; simmer until fork-tender, 10 to 12 minutes (avoid overcooking). Drain and rinse under cold water. Let cool in colander for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half, or quarter if large.

Meanwhile, whisk soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, sesame oil, honey, fish sauce, chili-garlic sauce (if using), and salt in a large bowl.

Toss potatoes, cabbage, cilantro, and scallions with dressing in bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and top with more cilantro and scallions.

Lemon-Pistachio Bars

 

I found this recipe in Real Simple, and thought it was a nice variation on classic lemon bars! (The same article also had a chocolate-hazelnut swirl cake that was fine, but this dessert was better.)

9 oz. unsalted shelled pistachios, plus ¼ cup chopped pistachios for topping
½ cup granulated sugar
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
¾ tsp. kosher salt
1 stick lactose-free butter
6 lemons, divided
8 large eggs
28 oz sweetened condensed lactose-free milk
¼ tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 °F with rack in center position. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of overhang on long sides.

Process shelled pistachios, sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt in a food processor until finely ground. Add butter; pulse until mixture comes together.

Transfer pistachio mixture to prepared baking dish. Using damp fingers or an offset spatula, spread mixture in an even layer on bottom and about ¼ inch up sides of dish. Bake until lightly golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool in baking dish on a wire rack for 20 minutes.

Zest and juice 5 lemons to yield 2 tablespoons zest and 1 cup juice. Place zest and juice in a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, condensed milk, and remaining 2 tablespoons cornstarch and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.

Pour lemon juice mixture over crust. Bake until filling is just set, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely in baking dish on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.

Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and flaky sea salt. Zest remaining lemon over top before slicing.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

 

These chocolate crinkle cookies would be great for a holiday cookie swap or for Valentine’s Day, but I feel like they are good year-round. They were easy to make and really delicious! I got 24 cookies from this recipe.

½ cup cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil (like canola, or light olive oil)
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

In a mixing bowl, combine granulated sugar, cocoa powder, oil, vanilla extract and eggs. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine flour together, baking powder and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the cocoa mixture and stir to combine.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Scoop dough with a mini ice cream scoop for even portioning (mine holds about 1 tablespoon of dough), then roll cookie dough into even-sized balls (it's easier to roll with wet hands). Roll each ball into powdered sugar.

Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with a silpat, being sure to leave space between each of the cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Cookies will come out soft but will harden as they cool down. (I baked mine for 9 minutes because that gave them a nice chew and that’s how I like them.) Allow cookies to cool slightly, then move them to a wire rack to fully cool down.

Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl

 

This is absolutely similar to other dishes I’ve posted before, yes, but I’m the kind of person who needs directions as a starting-off point most of the time, so there you have it. I made these chicken quinoa burrito bowls from Gimme Some Oven, but with avocados instead of guacamole. I had 4 chicken breasts that I did not bother pounding, and I cooked them in the oven instead of in a pan (20 to 25 minutes at 425 °F does the trick) with my own seasoning (written below).


For the bowls
2 cups cooked quinoa (I started with 1 cup raw quinoa)
1 batch taco-seasoned chicken (see below)
1 batch sautéed vegetables (see below)
1 batch corn salsa (see below)
⅔ cup guacamole
¼ cup crumbled cotija cheese (or your preferred lactose-free option – I used feta)
lime wedges (for serving)


For the chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
½ tsp. cornstarch
½ tsp. Korean pepper (or chili flakes)
½ tsp. Morton kosher salt (double that if you are using Diamond Crystal)
½ tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Mix the cornstarch, Korean pepper, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin together. Sprinkle over both sides of the chicken.

Heat oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook for about 5 minutes per side, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer translucent. (I did this in the oven, 20-25 minutes at 425 °F.) Remove from heat and transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest for at least 5 minutes, then cut into bite-sized cubes (I sliced them).


For the sautéed vegetables
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, stemmed and cored, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced

Return the same sauté pan to the heat and add the oil. Heat over medium-high heat, then add peppers and onions. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until the veggies are cooked and softened. Remove from heat.


For the corn salsa
1 (15-oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
½ cup finely diced red onion (I used a small shallot instead)
2 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp. lime juice

Toss all ingredients together until combined.


For assembling the bowls
Portion quinoa evenly between two serving bowls, spreading it out so that it covers the bottom of the bowls. Divide the chicken, peppers and onions, corn salsa and guacamole evenly between the two bowls, and add them on top of the quinoa. Sprinkle each bowl with some crumbled cheese. Serve immediately, garnishing each bowl with a lime wedge if desired.