The Smiling Onion

Vegetarian and Gluten-free Cooking

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Kabocha & Tofu Stew

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You know what sounds better than braving the New York restaurant scene on Valentine’s Day? Staying in and eating comfort food. And yes, I know that sometimes means nachos or fries or pizza, but with the crazy January we’ve had here in the U.S., I’ve been craving something a bit more nourishing.

After all, Valentine’s Day is about taking time out to appreciate those you love and giving them a little extra care and attention. That could be friends, a partner/partners, or even yourself. So in my book, cooking a nourishing (and incredibly tasty) meal is a great way to celebrate. And if you want to break out the ice-cream or alcohol later in the night, I won’t judge.

This stew will make your apartment smell insanely amazing. First, we fry some tofu with chives and ginger (a meal in itself!), then it gets simmered with kabocha, tamari, thyme, and cumin. Finally, we fold in some kale, add some more seasoning, and pop in some kabocha chunks to bite into (the first ones become part of the stewy sauce!). The result is a velvety, umami-laden sauce with a nice gingery punch, chunks of nutty kabocha and meaty tofu sprinkled throughout, and beautiful, tender greens to add to the love. Serve it with your favorite grain, or enjoy it on its own.

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Five Spice Tofu

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Have you ever realized that you tend to gravitate towards the same spices/herbs? Some years ago, I noticed that most of the meals I cooked for myself were seasoned with either cumin and hot paprika (still a solid combo!) or some version of Italian seasoning. Sure, occasionally, I would add one or two additional spices to the cumin and hot paprika mix (oregano for Mexican-inspired dishes, coriander and garam masala for Indian-inspired ones) but those three  – cumin, hot paprika, and Italian seasoning – were definitely the ones that I used most heavily.

Yet spices/herbs have impressive health benefits in addition to opening up a world of flavor combinations, so in recent years, I’ve been making an effort to branch out a bit more. Thyme – which I almost never touched for most of my life – has become a staple, as well as dill, sage, allspice, and turmeric. I discovered five spice powder (a mix of cinnamon, fennel, cloves, star anise, and white pepper) in culinary school, when we made five-spice dates, which literally consisted of rolling dates in five spice powder. But what a flavor! This was a spice mix I had to add to my pantry.

While I don’t use it as often as some of the spices mentioned above, it’s fantastic on root veggies, in noodle soups, and in this carrot breakfast pudding. But I probably use it most often in tofu dishes, along with tamari, toasted sesame oil, and chives. Sometimes I stir-fry my tofu and veggies briefly, and then just cover and let ’em simmer with the tamari and five spice. But I also love making Chinese take-out imitations like this dish, which coats crispy, fried tofu in a delightfully sticky, sweet and salty sauce and is perfect over rice or millet. Best of all? The sauce comes together in seconds!

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Tofu Satay Bowl

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Do you ever spend forever trying to decide the simplest things? I know I do…when it comes to ordering food, that is. I’m sad to say that far too much of my brain power has gone to agonizing over questions like “Sweet potato fries or regular?” “For the soup, did you want the cup or the bowl?” and “Pesto or marinara?” If these questions seem trivial, they absolutely are. But for someone whose happiness level is very much tied to getting these questions right – and who suffers from a disproportionate amount of ordering regret when it’s a miss – the decision can take a little while.

I had a similar dilemma when crafting this recipe, which was born out of a delicious thrown-together dinner (bowls are fabulous for these situations) a couple weeks back. I wasn’t planning to make it a blog post, but I was really happy with the tamarind-peanut sauce I had spontaneously created and thought a warming tofu satay bowl worth sharing. Then I had the leftovers – cold – the next day and found myself with an intriguing idea: should I post a summer salad instead? Same sauce – maybe make it a tiny bit more dressingy with a little vinegar – sub papaya for the broccoli, keep the tofu, cilantro, and peanuts, and maybe throw in some fresh basil? It certainly was quite delicious cold and you can never go wrong with fresh papaya! But I really liked that warm dinner bowl,  too…

I was so torn that I ended up buying both broccoli and papaya at the store so I didn’t have to decide until later. And I ended up going with the satay bowl. I don’t have any regrets (because this bowl is really quite delicious) but if you feel like trying the salad variation I described, do go for it. I don’t think you’ll have regrets either way.

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Lemongrass Baked Tofu

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I used to always eat tofu one way: stir-fried with sesame oil and tamari. And it was always delicious, which is perhaps why I never considered getting out of the Asian flavor profile realm until the past couple of years or so. When it’s not broke, don’t fix it — right?

Well, sesame oil and tamari are still my go-to seasonings when making a quick tofu stir-fry, but lately I’ve also gotten really into other flavor profiles. After all, tofu is one of the most versatile ingredients out there – it will soak up whatever flavors you create! It also lends itself to a variety of cooking techniques beyond the classic stir-fry: from boiling, to baking, to deep-frying. (If you’ve never tried boiled tofu, be sure to check out my Asian Tofu Salad!) Anyway, I started experimenting with other flavor profiles for my tofu when I got into morning tofu scrambles like this spicy one, which kicks it up a notch with some Indian spices. Then came baked tofu of all different types – with one of my favorites being this super savory lemongrass variety. Baked tofu takes a little bit more time than a stir-fry, because it does require pressing to get that optimal baked tofu texture that lends itself to topping sandwiches and salads. (See why you don’t have to press your tofu for stir-fries.) But it’s still pretty darn easy to make and awesome to have on hand in the fridge for when you want a quick salad topper, sandwich-filler, or just a satisfying, protein-packed snack.

This recipe is also a great jumping off point for you to do some experimentation with different spice combos and create your own signature tofu. Because once you make baked tofu once, you’ll definitely want to make it again.

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Rebellious Tofu and Bean Thread Stir-Fry

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Rules are made to be broken. Even in the kitchen. While this is a pretty simple comfort-food kind of meal (a healthier alternative to reaching for that Chinese take-out menu after a long day), it’s also just a tad rebellious. You won’t be able to taste the rebellion (unless you add some chili paste, of course — more on that in a bit) but you’ll know it’s there.

What on earth does rebellion have to do with a simple stir-fry? Well, let’s start by discussing what most people will tell you is the #1 tofu rule: press it. I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard that the secret to great tofu is to get all the moisture out of it so it crisps up better. It seems everyone and their mother has their own tofu pressing method – press it at an angle, so it doesn’t sit in its own water; cut it into small pieces before pressing; freeze it before pressing … I could go on for a while here. And yes, I’ve done some of these, and yes, they do yield crispy tofu. But is it better tofu? And is it worth the hassle/time of pressing? In many cases, I would (gasp!) say absolutely not.

With one exception – I do press my tofu when I need it to look visually stunning. Pressing and then browning it really well definitely does the trick there. But in terms of taste, I actually like my tofu better when it’s not pressed. And I definitely prefer not having to plan ahead when I want a quick dinner – tofu has always been my gold standard for a quick meal and pressing it takes that quality away completely.

Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying that I like my tofu mushy and soggy. But if you buy the right brand (Fresh Tofu Inc. is especially firm and dry and Nasoya Extra Firm is usually okay too, after a bit of light squeezing) and fry it up with some gluten-free soy sauce, it’ll be flavorful + tender with some lovely crispy bits – better than the overly chewy and sometimes dry quality you get when you go the press + brown-all-around route.

Confused? Don’t worry – my rebellious tofu is detailed in this recipe, so you can feel free to try it for yourself and see what you think. And if you’re a tofu pressing fanatic – no worries. You can definitely go ahead and press your tofu for this recipe if you must. As long as I don’t have to do it!

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Asian Tofu Salad

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If you’ve ever taken any sort of culinary or food science class, you may know that there are two types of cooking methods: dry-heat cooking and moist-heat cooking. Dry-heat is where your sautéing, roasting, baking, and frying lie. And moist heat is your boil, steam, simmer, and stew! (That’s by no means an exhaustive list of all moist/dry heat cooking methods, but it gives you a general idea.)

Anyway, it turns out I’m a dry-heat girl by nature. My go-to cooking methods are sautéing, roasting, baking, and pan-frying. Sure, I steam and boil on occasion (fried pasta would be pretty gross and I do like to blanch my greens and boil potatoes for mash now and then) but on the whole, my cooking routine generally begins with a skillet, some oil, and an onion.

In this heat, however, standing by a hot skillet babysitting a stir-fry is just not appealing. So when the craving for some tofu hit, I decided to boil it. Now if you’re like me, and you’ve spent your entire tofu-eating life baking, frying, or sautéing it, you may have some doubts about whether boiling is even possible. I know I did. But guess what?! It is! And it’s quite delicious and refreshing when seasoned well, chilled, and made into an Asian tofu salad like this one. In fact, taking foods I’m used to cooking one way and giving them a completely different treatment is definitely something I’d like to do more of. It helps me stay inspired, be creative, and not get stuck in any cooking ruts (which 90 degree weather can definitely precipitate!)

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Spicy Tofu Scramble

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I think that tofu scrambles get a bad rap. They are often the token vegan item on an egg-filled brunch menu, which doesn’t do them any favors. And it’s not because they can’t stand up to a good omelette; it’s because they’re often employed as an egg substitute. In my opinion, trying to make tofu taste like scrambled eggs is silly – even if you succeed, a less-good version of scrambled eggs is just not that exciting to eat for breakfast. (If you’re a vegan who really misses eggs, than okay, go for it. I do see the value there.) But I’d rather eat a tofu scramble that isn’t trying to be something else, because it really doesn’t need to be! Since tofu is a neutrally flavored food on its own, it can take on whatever flavor profile you want it to.  And that means you can infuse loads of delicious flavor into it, flavor that can provide serious competition for even the most delicious egg dish.

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