Mexican Chocolate Tofu Pudding

Now, these puddings are made out of Tofu, so keep an open mind! This dessert is more like a mousse, incredibly soft, rich and creamy. I saw Mark Bittman make them on TV and wanted to give it a shot myself.
The first time I stuck to the recipe but I ended up not liking the combination of chocolate, cinnamon and chile, but that's just me. I prefer a pure chocolate flavor. I did like the consistency though and the simplicity of this recipe so when I made it the second time I did not add the chile and cinnamon. Instead I added a big pinch of espresso powder. This time I really loved it and my guests did too..



Mexican Chocolate Tofu Pudding
from The Minimalist

3/4 cup sugar

1 pound silken tofu

8 ounces high-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste

Chocolate shavings (optional).

1. In a small pot, combine sugar with 3/4 cup water; bring to a boil and cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.

2. Put all ingredients except for chocolate shavings in a blender and purée until completely smooth, stopping machine to scrape down its sides if necessary. Divide among 4 to 6 ramekins and chill for at least 30 minutes. If you like, garnish with chocolate shavings before serving.

Yield: 4 to 6 serving

Saffron Chicken, Boiled Lemon and Green Bean Salad

I know that I have been posting a lot of salads lately, and yet I have one more that I need to share.. This one is absolutely incredible. One of the ingredients is a cooked lemon peel which is absolutely great with the saffron flavored chicken. Additionally, there are green beans in this salad, but no other ingredients really. Make this salad for your next party and it will for sure be a hit.

Saffron Chicken, Boiled Lemon and Green Bean Salad
(from Ellie Krieger)

Makes 4 servings

1 lemon, preferably unwaxed
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste, divided
Pinch saffron
2 tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1  1/4 pound skinless boneless chicken breast, pounded to 1/2-inch thick
1 pound green beans, washed and trimmed
Cooking spray
2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon honey
Freshly ground black pepper

Prick the lemon in 3 or 4 places with a fork and place in a small pot with 1 teaspoon of salt and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 50 minutes or until the lemon is very tender. Drain and set aside to cool.

In the meantime, mix the saffron, mint, garlic, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Pour the marinade into a sealable plastic bag, add the chicken and let it marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.

Steam the green beans for 4 minutes and set aside to cool. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

Preheat a large skillet or grill pan which has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cook the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Set aside to cool. Cut into bite-sized chunks.

Slice the ends off of the lemon and slice it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp. Slice the peel thinly and then again into 1/4-inch pieces.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, lemon, green beans and thyme. In a small bowl combine the rest of the lemon juice and the honey, whisk in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

Asparagus Frittata

When the temperatures hit almost 100 degrees here the other day I wanted something light for dinner. Our supermarket had just gotten a delivery of  very fresh asparagus and as the season is almost over I decided to make an asparagus frittata. The original recipe calls for boiling the vegetables. I like them better roasted, so I baked them for 15 minutes in the oven to intensify the flavor and soften them a little.

Asparagus Frittata
(adapted from better homes and garden)


1 ½ lbs. fresh asparagus or two 9-ounce or 10-ounce packages frozen cut asparagus
1 medium yellow sweet pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
⅓ cup chopped onion
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 1 cup) (I used broccoli instead)
10 slightly beaten eggs
1 cup half-and-half, light cream, or milk
2 tablespoons snipped fresh Italian parsley
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
¼ - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan


1. Butter a 2-quart rectangular baking dish; set aside.

2. If using fresh asparagus, snap off and discard woody bases. Scrape off scales, if desired. Cut into 1-inch pieces.

3. In a saucepan, bring about 1 inch water to boiling. Add asparagus, pepper strips, and onion; bring just to boiling. Reduce heat slightly; cover and boil about 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Drain well, reserving some asparagus tips for garnish. . (Here is what I did: Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil and put the prepared vegetables in one layer on the tray. Drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes or until the vegetables get soft.) Spread asparagus-pepper mixture evenly in baking dish. Layer zucchini (or broccoli) slices over.

4. Combine eggs, half-and-half, parsley, salt, and pepper, parmesan and smoked paprika. Pour over vegetables in baking dish. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven about 35 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving . Garnish each serving with asparagus tips, if desired. Serve warm or cold.
Makes 8 servings.

Lentil Mango Salad

Supermarkets are filled with ripe mangos right now and since this recipe paired them with lentils I had to try it.  In Germany, lentils are usually eaten during the winter time, most commonly as soup, stew or maybe as a side dish. I love lentils and I like that you can buy them precooked and ready to serve at many grocery stores. This way you can use them anytime and don't have to wait for them to cook. The mango pairs beautifully with all the spices and the lentils - this salad can be on your table in 15 minutes! I served this dish with a beautiful roasted Moroccan Spiced Salmon.

Lentil Mango Salad
(adapted from Joanne Bruno who adapted it from Simple recipes)
serves 4

1 1/2 cups lentils (I used the "ready to eat" lentils from Trader Joe's)
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 cup tomatoes, skinned and cut into large chunks
1 large mango or 2 small mangoes, peeled pitted and cubed
2 tbsp toasted almonds, chopped
2 tbsp cilantro or parsley leaves
couscous, rice, barley, quinoa, etc. (optional)

Method:

1. If using uncooked lentils, place lentils in a large pan.  Cover with 2 inches of well-salted water.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, lower heat to a simmer, and cook for 15-20 minutes or until lentils are tender.  Drain.
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium heat.  Spray with cooking spray.  Stir in the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, and thyme.  Cook 2 minutes more.  Gently stir in cooked lentils, mango and  tomatoes.
3. Lower the heat to low.  Cover and cook for 2 minutes.  Spoon into serving dish.  Sprinkle with chopped almonds and cilantro or parsley.  Serve with grain of your choice.

Summer Blueberry Corn Salad

Every year I look forward to summer in order to try all the new recipes that I collected over the winter. This one was on my 'to make' list for almost a year until finally I got to make it.
I tweaked the recipe a little in order to intensify the flavors. The recipe calls for the cooking of corn in water, but I baked it in the oven in foil with a little butter, salt, and pepper. It turned out to be very good. You will taste a little bit of sweet, a little bit of sour, a hint of Latin America, and it will be a little spicy.
The salad should rest overnight. I made it in the morning and served it for dinner that night. The flavors will melt wonderfully. A great dish for parties, potlucks, and barbecues.

Corn and Blueberry Salad

(from Better Homes and Gardens)


6 fresh sweet corn, husked
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cucumber, sliced
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped*
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon ground cumin

Optional: grilled shrimp or fish for serving

In Dutch oven bring salted water to boiling. Add corn. Cook, covered, 5 minutes, or until tender. When cool enough to handle, cut corn from cobs. (I baked the corn in foil at 425 F for 30 minutes)

In a serving bowl combine corn, blueberries, cucumber, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno. For dressing, in screw-top jar combine lime juice, oil, honey, cumin, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover; shake well to combine. Add to salad; toss. Cover and refrigerate overnight (up to 24 hours). Makes 6 to 8 servings