#gnarlydining

[gnarlydining]

Tomatillo Salsa

Super fast and easy salsa! These flavors are reminiscent of summer, but are great any time of year. You should be able to find tomatillos in the produce section of your favorite coop, natural foods store, or (when in season) farmer market.  They are often found near the hot peppers.  If you are unfamiliar with tomatillos, they are husked fruits that look like little green tomatoes, but are actually a nightshade.  Make sure you peel off the husk and rinse them in water before using them in recipes. 

Ingredients:

5 medium or 8 small tomatillos, husk removed and rinsed prior to quartering

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 whole garlic cloves

1 poblano or hot pepper of your choice

1 bunch of cilantro- stems removed

1 Tbs of canola oil

1 Tbs of agave

1-2 tsp of salt

Black pepper to taste

Steps:

Throw the ingredients into a food processor.  The order doesn’t matter too much, but I throw a few tomatillos at the top to help push down the cilantro. 

Blend! If you want chunky salsa (like the photo above) you’ll want to be either pulsing the food processor, or running it for a short time (30-45 seconds, depending on your model).  Make sure you stop occasionally and push down any food thrown up onto the sides.  If you want a smoother, more fine salsa (similar to salsa verde), blend longer, typically for over a minute.  Your preference!

This can be served right away or chilled in the refrigerator.  Make sure to mix again with a spoon prior to serving to distribute the liquid and the chunks evenly!

Enjoy with chips, on a burrito or salsa, over grilled tofu, or in place of traditional salsa in any dish!

-JD

[gnarlydining]

Three Cup Tofu

Whoa... its been a while.  The blog isn’t dead.  Just busy with work, finishing school, touring with bands, and finding new jobs.  

Here’s a great recipe to bring us back! I tried to replicate this amazing dish served by the Natt Spil in Maidson, WI. If you ever make it to the city- try it!

Ingredients:

1 block of the firmest tofu you can find, cubed

3 peppers (I use red, but any color will do)- diced

6 cloves of garlic- minced

5-6 inches of ginger- peeled and minced (add more depending on your love of ginger!)

3 Tbs soy sauce (not low sodium- I tried it once and the results were flavorless)

3 Tbs Mirin (aka rice wine vinegar)

2 Tbs sesame oil

1 Tbs dried Thai Basil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Rice of your choice- 2-3 cups cooked

Steps:

Start cooking your rice as you prepare the rest of the dish.

Sauté the papers over medium-low heat with some extra sesame oil.  Try not to let them burn, but we want the pepper to get soft.  It’ll take 20-30 mins for them to cook.

In a separate pan, brown the tofu with a little sesame oil over medium high heat.  Hit the tofu with a couple splashes of salt and pepper.

Whisk the soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil together in a dish. Set aside. The name “3 cup tofu” comes from the recommendation of 1 cup of soy sauce, 1 cup of mirin, and 1 cup of sesame oil.  You can try this if you’d like, but that seems like a tone of oil to me!

Once the peppers are done (a bit wilted and soft) add the combined liquids and Thai basil.  Stir it well, then add the garlic and ginger.

Continue to stir well so that the liquid will reduce, but the ginger and garlic won’t burn.

Stir in the tofu to the peppers to coat with the combined liquids.  If you want more flavor in the dish, add an extra Tbs of soy sauce and Mirin.  You likely don’t need the extra sesame oil.  Add any salt and pepper needed.

Serve over the rice and crush it!

-Enjoy!

JD