Stir Fry Tofu

In an effort to be more healthy, Andrea and I have, as of late, been cutting down on our consumption of meat and increasing our consumption of these things called vegetables. Yeah, I know. I'm thinking the same thing. We'll see how long this lasts. Anyway, Andrea bought some tofu on the last trip to the store. If you know anything about the contents of our refrigerator at all, you know we always have tofu. We buy it because it makes us feel less guilty about the pound of bacon sitting next to it. However, we never eat it and it usually gets thrown away during our usual purging of the fridge. We don'teven know whether tofu goes bad. We just assume it does and pitch it. I opened the fridge tonight and was greeted, yet again, by that familiar package of tofu. It sat there smugly, judging me. It knew that I had Mr. Goodcents for lunch. The little soy bean bastard even knew I had a giant chocolate chip cookie for dessert. In a moment of panic, I grabbed my recipe binder and found Jen Stastny's (old friend from Central High days) hand written instructions on how to stir fry tofu.

Ingredients

1 package of Extra Firm Tofu (not Silken, so not Mori Nu)
1 TBS olive oil
1TBS soy sauce
1TBS water

Cut the tofu into about 6-7 strips lengthwise. Lay the strips out on paper towels. Using another layer of paper towels, squeeze the water out of the strips. Do this 5 to 7 times. Cut tofu into cubes. Heat the olive oil over medium heat being sure to coat the bottom of the pan. You want the oil to be hot so that when the tofu hits the pan it starts to sizzle.

Cook them slowly. Let the buggers fry! Make them pay for their torment. Turn them frequently until lightly browned on all sides. ("Have patience!" is written in the margin.) Add the soy sauce and water and coat each piece. Add more if needed.

The flavor wasn't too bad. They had the texture of scrambled eggs. We added them to a mix of frozen corn, peas, and baby vidalia onions. It was a pretty quick and relatively satisfying meal.

Turkey Noodle Soup

We had dinner at Andrea's parent's house last week and the main course was a fantastic smoked Turkey. They sent us home with some left over meat. I also snagged the turkey carcass as I had the urge to make some homemade soup stock. It is so amazingly easy. Plus, the aroma that fills your house during its creation soothes your winter aches. I used egg noodles for this recipe.

Makes about 3 quarts, serving 8 to 10

Basic Turkey Stock (Cook's Illustrated, 2000)
1	turkey carcass from 12- to 14-pound turkey, cut into 4 or 5 rough pieces to fit into pot
1	large onion , peeled and halved
1	large carrot , peeled and chopped coarse
1	large rib celery , about 4 ounces, chopped coarse
3	medium cloves garlic , unpeeled and smashed
2	cups dry white wine
1	bay leaf
5	sprigs fresh parsley leaves
3	sprigs fresh thyme
For Soup
1	medium onion , diced medium
2	medium carrots , peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1	large rib celery , sliced 1/4 inch thick
1	tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
	Table salt and ground black pepper
2 - 3	cups pasta shells (medium), or other medium-sized pasta shape
2	tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1. For Stock: Bring turkey carcass, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, wine, bay leaf, and 4 1/2 quarts water to boil in 12-quart stockpot over medium-high heat, skimming fat or foam that rises to surface. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 2 hours, continuing to skim surface as necessary. Add parsley and thyme; continue to simmer until stock is rich and flavorful, about 2 hours longer, continuing to skim surface as necessary.

2. Strain stock through large-mesh strainer into large bowl or container; remove meat from strained solids, shred into bite-sized pieces, and set aside; discard solids in strainer. Cool stock slightly, about 20 minutes; spoon fat from surface. Use stock immediately or cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate up to 2 days.

3. For Soup: Bring turkey stock to simmer in large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt; cover and simmer until vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes. Add pasta and reserved shredded turkey meat from stock; simmer until pasta is al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in parsley, adjust seasonings with salt and pepper; serve.

French Toast Casserole

Living in Nebraska, I am surprised that I have lived this long and have never been served this dish. We Nebraskans like our casseroles. We Nebraskans like our French toast. Another match made in Cornhusker heaven.

Baked French Toast Casserole (Paula Dean, 2007)

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple syrupSlice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

Mrs. Cribbs's Chicken and Dumplings

Who is Mrs. Cribb's, you ask? Not sure. But, she can make some mean Chicken and Dumplings. We rocked this on Christmas Eve. It is an easy recipe, but it is pretty labor intensive. The work is worth it though. The photo is a double batch. So, you don't need a large dutch oven (in case you were wondering).


Mrs. Cribbs's Chicken and Dumplings (Food and Wine, 2000)

ingredients

• 3 pounds chicken legs
• 5 carrots--2 cut into large chunks, 3 thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 2 celery ribs--1 cut into large chunks, 1 thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
• 6 cups water
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine the chicken legs with the large chunks of carrot and celery, half of the chopped onions and the water. Simmer over moderate heat until the chicken legs are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Let cool slightly, then remove the meat from the bones and let cool. Strain the chicken broth and discard the vegetables.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour with 1 cup of the chicken broth, adding a little of the fat from the broth; stir to form a stiff dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth. Wrap the dumpling dough in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. 3.Cut the dough into quarters. Working with 1 piece at a time, roll out the dough a scant 1/4 inch thick on a very lightly floured work surface. Cut the dough into 3-inch-wide strips and transfer to a sheet of wax paper. Working on the paper, cut each strip crosswise into 1-inch-thick dumplings and transfer the paper to a baking sheet; do not separate the dumplings. Repeat with the remaining dough, stacking each layer on the baking sheet. Freeze the dumplings until solid, at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
4. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, combine the sliced carrots and celery and the remaining chopped onion with 4 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. Season well with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are just tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the cooked chicken and return to a boil.
5. Separate the frozen dumplings and add them to the simmering broth a few at a time, submerging them in the broth. Bring the broth to a simmer and cook until the dumplings are tender, about 15 minutes; tuck the dumplings into the broth occasionally. Spoon the chicken and dumplings into bowls and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The recipe can be prepared through Step 3 up to 3 days ahead. Refrigerate the broth and the chicken; keep the dumplings frozen.

French Apple Tart

Surprised by the semi-clear photo? I took the advice of my amigo Matt and shot the item next to a window. I really should listen to him more often. I need to work on my crust, but not bad for a first attempt.

The Holidays provided ample opportunity to try some new things. Andrea and I hosted this year. We had both sets of parents over for some type of meal. I acquired a bunch of new bakeware, including a tart pan, from Williams-Sonoma this past December. Good stuff, professional grade. It renewed my desire to expand my baking repertoire outside the usual quick breads and cookies. So, we invited Andrea's parents over a near-French dinner. I say near-French because the salad course wasn't really French. Anyway, since we were doing a near-French dinner, I thought we could end with a near-French dessert.


French Apple Tart (Gourmet, 2007)

Dough can be chilled up to 1 day.

1 recipe pastry dough, recipe follows
6 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, halved and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick cold butter, sliced thin
1/2 cup apricot jam, heated and strained
Vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, as an accompaniment

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

On a lightly floured surface roll out dough into a 13-inch round and fit it into a 10-inch tart tin with a removable fluted rim, trimming the excess. Arrange the apples decoratively on the pastry shell, overlapping them. Sprinkle the sugar on top of the apples, top with butter slices and bake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes or until the crust is cooked through and the apples are golden. Brush with the heated apricot jam while the tart is still hot. Serve each portion with a small scoop of ice cream or a small spoonful of whipped cream.

Pastry Dough
1 stick cold unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Cut butter into 1/2-inch cubes.

To blend by hand: Blend together flour, butter, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender until most of mixture resembles coarse meal (roughly pea-size lumps). Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water evenly over and gently stir with a fork until incorporated.

To blend in a food processor: Pulse together flour, butter, and salt in a food processor until most of mixture resembles coarse meal (roughly pea-size lumps). Add 2 tablespoons ice water and pulse 2 or 3 times, or just until incorporated.

Test mixture: Gently squeeze a small handful: it should hold together without crumbling apart. If it doesn't, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring or pulsing 2 or 3 times after each addition until incorporated (keep testing). If you overwork mixture or add too much water, pastry will be tough.

Form dough: Turn out onto a work surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together and form it, rotating it on work surface, into a disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie crust or a 10 to 11-inch tart crust.