Spicy Tofu and Zucchini with Lemongrass, Lime and Basil

This dish is remarkably simple to put together. A nice, exotic smell around the house.

The above photo shows some immature lemongrass - it's not nearly broad enough to be used easily in a dish like this. But, it's all they had at the farmer's market. I used the rest of this in lemongrass tea -- see an upcoming post. Normally, you will want lemongrass that is at least 1/4" in diameter at the bulb.

Spicy Tofu and Zucchini with Lemongrass, Lime and Basil
cookthink.com

10 oz extra-firm tofu, cubed into bite-sized pieces
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2" half-rounds
2 T vegetable oil
1 habanero, chile, seeded and thinly slicd
1 4" piece lemongrass, minced
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 c stock
2 T fish sauce
juice of 1/2 lime
8-10 basil leaves, torn

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over high heat. When it's almost smoking, add tofu. Braise on all sides until desired level of crisp-ness -- about 30-60 seconds per side. (If you get carried away with this step and the tofu is perfectly browned, then remove the tofu from the pan for the next step and just set aside.) Add zucchini. Shake pan briefly, then leave to brown well, about 1-2 minutes.

Add habanero, lemongrass and shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is soft, 1-2 more minutes. (If you removed the tofu earlier, add the tofu at the end of this step.)

Add chicken broth, fish sauce, and lime juice and cook until broth thickens, 1-2 more minutes.

Serve over rice, and topped with pieces of torn basil.

Comments

Chicken Traybake with Roasted Poblano and Tomato Salsa

This dish is delicious! Easy! And, beautiful to look at! The original recipe calls for you to process all the cooked vegetables together into a chunky salsa, but I recommend serving it as is so you have an automatic side dish. The original also calls for cooking chicken bone-in, but, the more I cook traybakes, the more I advocate for slicing chicken into tenders and cooking boneless. Just a safer bake that way because everything comes to the same temperature at the same time. Chicken Traybake with Roasted Poblano and Tomato Salsa Milk Street 1 T chili powder 2 poblano, stemmed, seeded, chopped 1 yellow onion, root end intact, in 8 wedges 1 pint cherry tomatoes 1/4 c olive oil 1 T brown sugar 1 T oregano, dried 3 lb chicken, bone-in, skin-on, trimmed 10 cloves garlic, peeled 1 T vinegar 1/4 c cilantro, chopped Heat oven to 450. In small bowl, stir together chili powder and 2 tsp salt. In large bowl, toss together pobloanos, onion wedges, tomatoes, and 1 T of the chili-power...

Mayocoba Beans with Green Chiles

I love this dish so much that I can barely stand it. Delicious the night it was made, and fantastic as leftovers throughout the week. Mayocoba beans are easily replaced -- try pintos, if you can't find mayocobas. Mayocoba Beans with Green Chiles Baptism of Fire 3-4 green chiles, roasted and chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 T lard or olive oil 1/2 tsp oregano 1 tsp cumin pepper 1 c mayocoba beans, dry 3 c water 1 tsp salt Cook the green chiles, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and black pepper in the fat until the onions begin to caramelize. Add the water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the beans sit, uncovered, for an hour. You may drain the water to remove some of the slightly indigestible sugars that cause gassiness. If you decide to drain them, add enough water back into the pot to cover the beans with about 2" of water above the beans for cooking. Bring the beans back to a boil and cook, until tender. This will take...

Curried Chicken Soup

I made this soup so often in the 1990s, but frankly had forgotten about it. Flipping through this cookbook, I found this recipe and was flooded with memories. When I was in grad school, this soup was my "feeling decadent" food and reminded me of something people might eat after hitting the slopes -- a thing I have never done. A few decades long, and with a lot more experience with cooking, I realize that this is basically a chicken curry with a thin sauce and the rice already in the meal -- but don't let that in any way discourage you! It's delicious as is and is a wonderful take on what is otherwise chicken and rice soup. I have become a fan of using rotisserie chickens, especially during the pandemic. They are so cheap, and I can use the meat in a soup like this on the day-of grocery shopping, and, crunch the bones down for the freezer for making stock in the future. Of course, this soup can be made with a fresh chicken, but I have modified the recipe bel...

Donut Army

Search This Blog