miso-curry delicata squash with tofu and kale
September 11, 2011
Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks just came out with a printed version of her blog called super natural every day. It’s a beautiful cookbook although I gotta say it involves a lot of cheese and yogurt. There are a few vegan gems in there that are incredibly yummy including this miso-curry delicata squash recipe. I *love* delicata squash and stock up every fall at the farmers’ market since they are often hard to find during the year. They are sweet with a nice robust texture, they cook quickly, and you can eat the skin no problem. This recipe compliments everything good about delicata with tofu, potatoes, kale and a really simple but interesting miso-curry dressing. We served it with quinoa but it’s a totally satisfying meal all on its own.
12 ounces delicata squash (or about 2 small ones)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white miso
1 tbsp red Thai curry paste
8 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into small cubes
4 medium new potatoes, unpeeled, cut into chunks
2 tbsps fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups chopped kale, tough stems removed
1/3 cup pepitas, toasted, or tamari pumpkin seeds
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the middle of the oven.
Cut the delicata squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to clear out all the seeds. Cut into 1/2 inch thick half-moons.
In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, miso, and curry paste. Combine the tofu, potatoes, and squash in a large bowl with 1/3 cup of the miso-curry paste. Use your hands to toss well, then turn the vegetables onto a rimmed baking sheet, and arrange in a single layer.
Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until everything is tender and browned. Toss once or twice along the way, after things start to brown a bit. Keep a close watch, though; the vegetables can go from browned to burned in a flash.
In the meantime, whisk the lemon juice into the remaining miso-curry paste, then stir in the kale until coated.
Toss the roasted vegetables gently with the kale, pepitas, and cilantro. Serve family style in a large bowl or on a platter.
nice + spicy marinated tofu
September 17, 2010
I owe thanks to my sister Mary for this recipe. She used it at Christmas. She doubled the recipe – one batch to stick on some pork for the meat-lovers in the family, and one batch to put on some tofu. The tofu was fabulous. I can’t comment on the pork but I hear it was equally good. It’s super simple and very good. And the kids love it.
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
3 tbsps oil
2 tbsps lemon juice
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsps cumin
2 tsps coriander
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
tofu
Marinate the tofu in the marinade. Saute in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, or throw on the BBQ for that extra smokey flavour.
miso soup
March 2, 2010
This is from my dear friend Emily McInnes who just started Eye Buy Art – a new online art gallery representing young photographers from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Check it out. It’s fabulous!! (Not only do you learn about food here but have a platform to buy awesome art. Make beauty necessary. Make necessity beautiful.) Anyhow, she loves miso soup and, having experienced it myself, it’s great. Here’s what she has to say about making miso soup de jour:
– boil water (add crushed ginger if you feel like it – oftentimes I’m too lazy)
– add cubed tofu, dark fresh greens, Asian greens, carrot, corn niblets, mushrooms (dried or otherwise) – whatever your heart desires
– OPTIONAL: add vermicelli (thin rice noodles) or any kind of noodle if you want (i.e. dried ramen)
– once the above has been steamed slightly – add in a good dollop of miso, a good 2 hearty scoops for a soup that serves 2
(if your soup is lacking in flavour then it could be that you just didn’t add enough, or the miso you bought is a boring variety?)
– fix this by adding a sweep of tamari or soy-like sauce (I like Bragg’s)
– if you’re feeling experimental you can add a little dash of rice wine vinegar
– cook until miso is dissolved (NB: I read that you shouldn’t let your soup, with miso added, come to a boil. Keep it just under a boil.)
And then:
– add fresh chopped onion on top
– fresh cilantro or parsley is nice
– sprouts (the ones in the photo are from Kind Organics who were at the Brickworks Farmers’ Market on Saturday)
– shredded seaweed (yum!)
– shake some gomashio (sesame seeds – I like black ones) on top
– drizzle a tiny TINY amount of sesame oil on top (optional – it’s strong)
VOILA!
Make up your own soup. I think I’ve never made the same one twice!
v:gourmet 