![]()
Last week I bought this nice hunk of locally made tofu to bring to my sisters for dinner. I was planning on making T.A.L.T.’s, but when I told her what I planned on making, she turned it down. She asked, ” is there bacon with that? If not, I don’t really feel like tofu”. And I was like, “No there is not F**king bacon….. when did I mention bacon?”
We still went over for dinner, Just me,her,and the Mr. I brought myself a big salad. The other two ended up eating a frozen pizza and blue cheese dressing (I think they might have eaten dressing with a little bit of pizza…barf) But whatever, her lose, cause I made the T.A.L.T.’s a few days later. They were amazing (the tofu was soo good!) and I am pretty sure she would have loved them. Oh well, now she will just have to make them for herself if she ever decided to she wants one.
So here.. To everyone and to Shannon….. How to make a T.A.L.T. .. There is NO BACON!
![]()
The stuff… Some nice firm tofu, half a ripe avocado,lettuce (I used baby greens), and some sliced up fresh and tasty tomato. To spice up the tofu, we use galic powder, salt pepper, and a nice smokey paprika. Oh.. and a big hunk of a soft and crusty baguette to stick it all in.
![]()
To get this TALT going, thinly slice up as about a 1/3 of a block of tofu. (for one sandwich) Or slice up the whole thing to make more sandwiches.
![]()
On a plate or in a bowl, mix together the garlic powder, paprika and a little salt and pepper. Gently dredge both sides of each piece in the mixute.
![]()
Paprika is so bright and pretty.
![]()
Place the tofu in a lightly oiled and preheated skillet on medium heat. Cook each side until crispy and golden brown.
![]()
Slice you bread open and toast if you want. Scoop avocado onto the bread( a little on both sides). Add the tomato and the seasoned tofu and last but not least, pile on the greens.
![]()
TA DA! A Sandwich… a damn good one at that .
-C
Makes on 6-8 inch sandwich
- 1/3 block of extra firm tofu*
- 1/2 of a ripe avocado
- 1 small tomato thinly slices
- a handful of baby greens or a few lettuce leaves
- A 6-8inch hunk of a soft and crusty baguette (use a gluten free bread of choice if needed)
- 1 tablespoon SMOKEY paprika*
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder*
- salt and pepper.*
*Note.. This is enough for one sandwich. If making more then one, use the whole block, or even if you not, you might as well cook the whole thing for and have some extra for later use. If you do cook it all, just add another tablespoon or so of the paprika and the garlic powder.
Remove tofu from package and stick between a clean dish towel. Press as much liquid out as you can without smooshing it. Cut tofu into 1/4 inch thick slabs. Mix the spices with a pinch of salt and pepper in a shall bowl or plate and dredge both side of the tofu in the mixture. Lightly oil and preheat a skillet to medium heat. When the tofu is seasoned, stick onto skillet and cook each side until crispy and brown. Remove from heat and let cool for a minute. (If you like you tofu a little more on the crunchy and dried out side you can stick the tofu in the oven for a few minutes)
To assemble. Slice bread, toast if you want. Place equal amounts of avocado on each side of bread. Layer on the sliced tomatoes, the cooked tofu and add on the greens. Close up sandwich and place on a plate.
Bite, chew, swallow.
Smile
I have been meaning to make this jam for a while now. I’ll buy a bunch of jalapeños, then slowly, before I get to cooking them down, end up eating them all. But not today, and the rewards are great, Fresh jalapeño jam. So much potential for the greatest of things (I am thinking mango jalapeño sorbet… no, I am making jalapeño mango sorbet) And if you, like me are a jalapeño fan, this is going to make your life amazing. You will find yourself jamming up everything, or maybe just eating it with a spoon.
Whatever you want to do with it, just make it.
![]()
Honey and jalapeños.. All you need, well a little salt and water too, but that’s it.
![]()
What you need to do is remove the stems,, most of the ribs and half of the seeds removed. (You could remove all or none of the seeds depending on you heat preference) Chop the peppers into small chunks, toss into a pot, sprinkle with a bit of salt, add in a splash of water. Place the pot on medium heat. Top it with a lid, and give the peppers a good stir every few minutes. While the peppers are cooking, you want to make sure the bottom isn’t sticking and buringin. If that starts to happen, just turn the heat down a bit and add in a little splash more of water.
![]()
After about 20 minutes, the peppers are fully cooked and falling apart. The liquid is cooked down and the peppers are starting to caramelize on the bottom of the pan. When that happened, remove the pot from heat.
Now you can either blend the peppers, mash the peppers with a fork, or leave it chunky. Thats a choice Ill leave to you. ( I like to blend, but keep some chunks)
![]()
And drizzle in a bit o honey. As little or as much as you like.
![]()
And scoop into a jar. Eat the jam on anything you want. (I found myself eating it with a spoon)
Keep it Real!
-C
Makes about 1 1/2 cups of jam
- 10 large jalapeño peppers
- a pinch of salt
- About 1 tablespoon of honey, but add more if you like (And if you want to keep it vegan, use agave or sugar)
Wash, remove ribs and most seeds (the more seeds you leave the hotter it will be) and dice jalapenos into small chunks. Place in a pot with a few splashes of water and a sprinkle of salt. Turn on medium heat and cover, stirring every few minutes. If the peppers seem to be sticking o the pot and burning, turn heat down and add another splash of water. After about 20 minutes, the peppers should be really tender and falling apart. The liquid should be completely cooked out and the peppers will start to caramelized at the bottom of the pot. When that starts to happen, remove from heat. Now either mash with a fork, blend with a hand blender, or leave superr chunky. Drizzle in honey (or sweetener) and stir.
Eat right away or stick in a jar and store in the fridge for up to a week (It won’t last that long)
![]()
I am a year round maker and consumer of soup.
With that being said, the nature of my soups change seasonally. My summertime soups are usually on the lighter side, made with the fresh bounty of the season, and spiced more on the light and floral side, opposed to the really deep and warm spices that I use all winter long,
This corn chowder is made just right. It had the perfect balance of hearty and creamy from the potatoes and use of pureed onion cream, but still light and refreshing from the sweet fresh corn and the lemony fresh thyme. It is for sure a great summertime soup (chowder) Even the Mr. was even really into it, and he claims he doesn’t like corn. (I say bullshit to that.. he eats corn all the time)
Now to chowder!
![]()
The Stuff. Some super fresh corn on the cob, a couple onions, a few chopped up potatoes and a chopped up carrot. Then we have a little oil, a lemon, dried thyme and salt and pepper.
To start, take an onion, chop it up, and toss into a large heavy pot with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Stick pot on stove on medium heat and cook until onions are soft and traslutcent. When the onions are done, remove and add to a blender or bowl. (if using a hand blender) Add in the juice of the lemon and blend it all up until nice a smooth.
You have now made a nice creamy cream that will help make the final product more, well more creamy without the use of cream (lets say cream on more time !) .Set aside.
When the pot is empty again, add in the rest of the stuff, including the cobs of the corn, (they hold a butt load of flavor) the dried thyme, and salt and pepper. Place on stove and add enough water to completely submerge the veggies. Keep pot on a medium heat, add a lid, and stir ever once in a while. Cook until the potatoes are nice and tender. (when the potatoes are done, so is everything else)
![]()
Now that everything is all cooked up, remove the cobs and stir in the onion puree.
Now with a hand blender, blend up until the chowder is thick and smooth, but still nice and chunky. (If you are working with a blender, just remove about half of the soup and blend up, then dump back in) The optimal chunkiness is up to you , so blend, check the chunk, then blend a little more if needed. If you feel that the soup is to thick, add in a little more water, or to thin, just cook down o little longer.
Once you like the constituency,season to taste with salt and pepper and place pot back on a simmer until you are ready to serve.
![]()
![]()
And thats how we make corn chowder
It tastes best serves in the daintiest of the cups, sprinkled heavily with cracked pepper, and with a side of some cracker situation (Saltines would be best, but sometime there are only triscits in the house)
Summertime is for chowder!
HAPPY Humpday Wednesday!!!
-C
Makes a pot big enough for 4-6 nice decent sized servings
- 2 fresh ears of corn
- 3 medium (tennis ball sized) red or white potatoes
- 2 white or yellow onions
- 1 carrot
- Juice of a lemon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dried thyme
- salt and pepper
To start, peel and dice one whole onion and toss into pot with olive oil and stick on medium heat. Cook onions until translucent and fragrant. Remove from pot and add cooked onions and the lemon juice to a blender and puree until smooth and set aside.
While you are cooking down the onions, dice up the carrot and onion, remove the corn kernels from the cob, and chop up the potatoes. Once you have removed the first batch of onions, toss in corn, onions, carrot, potatoes, and the dried thyme. Stir around in the pot on medium heat for a few minutes just to warm up the spices. Add the cobs into the pot and fill with enough water to cover the stuff in the pot. Place back on medium heat with a lid and cook for another 20ish minutes, or until potatoes are super tender and almost falling apart.
Remove cobs from pot and add in the onion puree. Now either remove about half the soup and place in the bender and blend up til smooth, or use a hand blender and blend up chowder until you get your desired chunkiness. If you think the chowder seems to thick, add in more water, or to thin, just cook down a little longer on the stove.
When ready to eat, ladle chowder into a cup or bowl and add lots of fresh cracked pepper.
Serve with a cracker and a spoon to eat it with.
It seems that everywhere I turn this week, there corn. So much so that its coming out of my ears…..get it.. ears! (yes I am that lame)
Yup, its now officially (but unofficially) summer and that means 2 things, well 3 things. First, we eat corn. Secondly, It’s hot out, and get so hot in our little tiny loft that having the oven on is like torture so I avoid it at all costs. And lastly, I seem to always have less time(or forget) to make dinner cause, you know, I am outside running around with my head cut off.
The solution to the last two…..Quesadillas.
I probably make the mister quesadillas at least 5 time a week. They are just so easy to make (takes about 8 minutes) are full of some kind of veggie situation and lots of cheese (which is the misters favorite food group). You can make one, for a quick lunch, or very easily make 10 to feed a few people for a easy dinner. (everyone likes a quesadilla!). And even though I cooked these particular ones inside, quesadillas are great made outside on the grill. They just make so much sense.
And so it goes.
Summertime + corn = Charred corn and kale quesadillas.
The Stuff. Freshy freshy corn on the cob. A few flour tortillas, a bunch of chopped kale and some shredded cheese. (I used pepper jack)
With a sharp knife, cut the corn off the cob. I find using a deep bowl works best to catch corn, and you could even invert another little bowl inside to rest the cob for easier cutting (I skipped extra bowl.. once less dish to wash)
While you are cutting the corn, preheat a large pan on medium high heat.
Once the pan is hot, toss the corn kernels right on into it and sprinkle with salt and pepper Let cook for a minutes or two, then give it a stir and cook for another minute.
After about 4 minutes the corn turns bright yellow and starts to char. Remove pan from heat and toss in the chopped up kale.
And compile the quesadilla. Tortilla, grated cheese, corn and kale, more cheese if you please, and top with anther tortilla. Place assembled quesadilla into the pan and place on medium heat. Cook both sides until brown and cheese is ooey gooey.
Remove from pan and cut into triangles (or any shape you want)
Serve right away. Can be eaten on a napkin, plate, or directly off the counter.
Not needed, but it would be nice of you to serve with a little avocado, salsa, or sour cream.
Happy Tuesday!
-C
Makes two 8 inch quesadillas
- Four 8 inch flour tortillas (use gluten free if needed)
- 2 ears of fresh corn
- 3-4 larges kale leaves
- 1 cup* shredded pepper jack cheese (use vegan cheese if needed)
*Note. Use more cheese if you want
Preheat a large pan on medium high. While the pan is heating up, cut the corn from the cob. Once pan is hot, toss corn kernels into hot skillet and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Give corn a stir after a few minutes. Once the kernels start to turn bright yellow and get a little charred, remove pan from heat. Chop up kale into little pieces and toss into pan with the corn while the pan is still hot. Mix around and let the kale wilt a bit from the residual heat.
Ready your tortilla. Place half the cheese onto totilla, add on half of the corn and kale mixture, sprinkle with a bit more cheese and top with another tortilla. Place onto now empty pan and heat up quesadilla until brown on both sides and chesse is melty. Remove from skillet and cut into triangle. Repeat for the second quesadilla.
Serve right away with or without some guacamole, salsa, or sour cream.
plates are not required.
THE LOVELY CRAZY
September 19, 2015 by maximios • Blog
Last week I bought this nice hunk of locally made tofu to bring to my sisters for dinner. I was planning on making T.A.L.T.’s, but when I told her what I planned on making, she turned it down. She asked, ” is there bacon with that? If not, I don’t really feel like tofu”. And I was like, “No there is not F**king bacon….. when did I mention bacon?”
We still went over for dinner, Just me,her,and the Mr. I brought myself a big salad. The other two ended up eating a frozen pizza and blue cheese dressing (I think they might have eaten dressing with a little bit of pizza…barf) But whatever, her lose, cause I made the T.A.L.T.’s a few days later. They were amazing (the tofu was soo good!) and I am pretty sure she would have loved them. Oh well, now she will just have to make them for herself if she ever decided to she wants one.
So here.. To everyone and to Shannon….. How to make a T.A.L.T. .. There is NO BACON!
The stuff… Some nice firm tofu, half a ripe avocado,lettuce (I used baby greens), and some sliced up fresh and tasty tomato. To spice up the tofu, we use galic powder, salt pepper, and a nice smokey paprika. Oh.. and a big hunk of a soft and crusty baguette to stick it all in.
To get this TALT going, thinly slice up as about a 1/3 of a block of tofu. (for one sandwich) Or slice up the whole thing to make more sandwiches.
On a plate or in a bowl, mix together the garlic powder, paprika and a little salt and pepper. Gently dredge both sides of each piece in the mixute.
Paprika is so bright and pretty.
Place the tofu in a lightly oiled and preheated skillet on medium heat. Cook each side until crispy and golden brown.
Slice you bread open and toast if you want. Scoop avocado onto the bread( a little on both sides). Add the tomato and the seasoned tofu and last but not least, pile on the greens.
TA DA! A Sandwich… a damn good one at that .
-C
Makes on 6-8 inch sandwich
*Note.. This is enough for one sandwich. If making more then one, use the whole block, or even if you not, you might as well cook the whole thing for and have some extra for later use. If you do cook it all, just add another tablespoon or so of the paprika and the garlic powder.
Remove tofu from package and stick between a clean dish towel. Press as much liquid out as you can without smooshing it. Cut tofu into 1/4 inch thick slabs. Mix the spices with a pinch of salt and pepper in a shall bowl or plate and dredge both side of the tofu in the mixture. Lightly oil and preheat a skillet to medium heat. When the tofu is seasoned, stick onto skillet and cook each side until crispy and brown. Remove from heat and let cool for a minute. (If you like you tofu a little more on the crunchy and dried out side you can stick the tofu in the oven for a few minutes)
To assemble. Slice bread, toast if you want. Place equal amounts of avocado on each side of bread. Layer on the sliced tomatoes, the cooked tofu and add on the greens. Close up sandwich and place on a plate.
Bite, chew, swallow.
Smile
I have been meaning to make this jam for a while now. I’ll buy a bunch of jalapeños, then slowly, before I get to cooking them down, end up eating them all. But not today, and the rewards are great, Fresh jalapeño jam. So much potential for the greatest of things (I am thinking mango jalapeño sorbet… no, I am making jalapeño mango sorbet) And if you, like me are a jalapeño fan, this is going to make your life amazing. You will find yourself jamming up everything, or maybe just eating it with a spoon.
Whatever you want to do with it, just make it.
Honey and jalapeños.. All you need, well a little salt and water too, but that’s it.
What you need to do is remove the stems,, most of the ribs and half of the seeds removed. (You could remove all or none of the seeds depending on you heat preference) Chop the peppers into small chunks, toss into a pot, sprinkle with a bit of salt, add in a splash of water. Place the pot on medium heat. Top it with a lid, and give the peppers a good stir every few minutes. While the peppers are cooking, you want to make sure the bottom isn’t sticking and buringin. If that starts to happen, just turn the heat down a bit and add in a little splash more of water.
After about 20 minutes, the peppers are fully cooked and falling apart. The liquid is cooked down and the peppers are starting to caramelize on the bottom of the pan. When that happened, remove the pot from heat.
Now you can either blend the peppers, mash the peppers with a fork, or leave it chunky. Thats a choice Ill leave to you. ( I like to blend, but keep some chunks)
And drizzle in a bit o honey. As little or as much as you like.
And scoop into a jar. Eat the jam on anything you want. (I found myself eating it with a spoon)
Keep it Real!
-C
Makes about 1 1/2 cups of jam
Wash, remove ribs and most seeds (the more seeds you leave the hotter it will be) and dice jalapenos into small chunks. Place in a pot with a few splashes of water and a sprinkle of salt. Turn on medium heat and cover, stirring every few minutes. If the peppers seem to be sticking o the pot and burning, turn heat down and add another splash of water. After about 20 minutes, the peppers should be really tender and falling apart. The liquid should be completely cooked out and the peppers will start to caramelized at the bottom of the pot. When that starts to happen, remove from heat. Now either mash with a fork, blend with a hand blender, or leave superr chunky. Drizzle in honey (or sweetener) and stir.
Eat right away or stick in a jar and store in the fridge for up to a week (It won’t last that long)
I am a year round maker and consumer of soup.
With that being said, the nature of my soups change seasonally. My summertime soups are usually on the lighter side, made with the fresh bounty of the season, and spiced more on the light and floral side, opposed to the really deep and warm spices that I use all winter long,
This corn chowder is made just right. It had the perfect balance of hearty and creamy from the potatoes and use of pureed onion cream, but still light and refreshing from the sweet fresh corn and the lemony fresh thyme. It is for sure a great summertime soup (chowder) Even the Mr. was even really into it, and he claims he doesn’t like corn. (I say bullshit to that.. he eats corn all the time)
Now to chowder!
The Stuff. Some super fresh corn on the cob, a couple onions, a few chopped up potatoes and a chopped up carrot. Then we have a little oil, a lemon, dried thyme and salt and pepper.
To start, take an onion, chop it up, and toss into a large heavy pot with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Stick pot on stove on medium heat and cook until onions are soft and traslutcent. When the onions are done, remove and add to a blender or bowl. (if using a hand blender) Add in the juice of the lemon and blend it all up until nice a smooth.
You have now made a nice creamy cream that will help make the final product more, well more creamy without the use of cream (lets say cream on more time !) .Set aside.
When the pot is empty again, add in the rest of the stuff, including the cobs of the corn, (they hold a butt load of flavor) the dried thyme, and salt and pepper. Place on stove and add enough water to completely submerge the veggies. Keep pot on a medium heat, add a lid, and stir ever once in a while. Cook until the potatoes are nice and tender. (when the potatoes are done, so is everything else)
Now that everything is all cooked up, remove the cobs and stir in the onion puree.
Now with a hand blender, blend up until the chowder is thick and smooth, but still nice and chunky. (If you are working with a blender, just remove about half of the soup and blend up, then dump back in) The optimal chunkiness is up to you , so blend, check the chunk, then blend a little more if needed. If you feel that the soup is to thick, add in a little more water, or to thin, just cook down o little longer.
Once you like the constituency,season to taste with salt and pepper and place pot back on a simmer until you are ready to serve.
And thats how we make corn chowder
It tastes best serves in the daintiest of the cups, sprinkled heavily with cracked pepper, and with a side of some cracker situation (Saltines would be best, but sometime there are only triscits in the house)
Summertime is for chowder!
HAPPY Humpday Wednesday!!!
-C
Makes a pot big enough for 4-6 nice decent sized servings
To start, peel and dice one whole onion and toss into pot with olive oil and stick on medium heat. Cook onions until translucent and fragrant. Remove from pot and add cooked onions and the lemon juice to a blender and puree until smooth and set aside.
While you are cooking down the onions, dice up the carrot and onion, remove the corn kernels from the cob, and chop up the potatoes. Once you have removed the first batch of onions, toss in corn, onions, carrot, potatoes, and the dried thyme. Stir around in the pot on medium heat for a few minutes just to warm up the spices. Add the cobs into the pot and fill with enough water to cover the stuff in the pot. Place back on medium heat with a lid and cook for another 20ish minutes, or until potatoes are super tender and almost falling apart.
Remove cobs from pot and add in the onion puree. Now either remove about half the soup and place in the bender and blend up til smooth, or use a hand blender and blend up chowder until you get your desired chunkiness. If you think the chowder seems to thick, add in more water, or to thin, just cook down a little longer on the stove.
When ready to eat, ladle chowder into a cup or bowl and add lots of fresh cracked pepper.
Serve with a cracker and a spoon to eat it with.
It seems that everywhere I turn this week, there corn. So much so that its coming out of my ears…..get it.. ears! (yes I am that lame)
Yup, its now officially (but unofficially) summer and that means 2 things, well 3 things. First, we eat corn. Secondly, It’s hot out, and get so hot in our little tiny loft that having the oven on is like torture so I avoid it at all costs. And lastly, I seem to always have less time(or forget) to make dinner cause, you know, I am outside running around with my head cut off.
The solution to the last two…..Quesadillas.
I probably make the mister quesadillas at least 5 time a week. They are just so easy to make (takes about 8 minutes) are full of some kind of veggie situation and lots of cheese (which is the misters favorite food group). You can make one, for a quick lunch, or very easily make 10 to feed a few people for a easy dinner. (everyone likes a quesadilla!). And even though I cooked these particular ones inside, quesadillas are great made outside on the grill. They just make so much sense.
And so it goes.
Summertime + corn = Charred corn and kale quesadillas.
The Stuff. Freshy freshy corn on the cob. A few flour tortillas, a bunch of chopped kale and some shredded cheese. (I used pepper jack)
With a sharp knife, cut the corn off the cob. I find using a deep bowl works best to catch corn, and you could even invert another little bowl inside to rest the cob for easier cutting (I skipped extra bowl.. once less dish to wash)
While you are cutting the corn, preheat a large pan on medium high heat.
Once the pan is hot, toss the corn kernels right on into it and sprinkle with salt and pepper Let cook for a minutes or two, then give it a stir and cook for another minute.
After about 4 minutes the corn turns bright yellow and starts to char. Remove pan from heat and toss in the chopped up kale.
And compile the quesadilla. Tortilla, grated cheese, corn and kale, more cheese if you please, and top with anther tortilla. Place assembled quesadilla into the pan and place on medium heat. Cook both sides until brown and cheese is ooey gooey.
Remove from pan and cut into triangles (or any shape you want)
Serve right away. Can be eaten on a napkin, plate, or directly off the counter.
Not needed, but it would be nice of you to serve with a little avocado, salsa, or sour cream.
Happy Tuesday!
-C
Makes two 8 inch quesadillas
*Note. Use more cheese if you want
Preheat a large pan on medium high. While the pan is heating up, cut the corn from the cob. Once pan is hot, toss corn kernels into hot skillet and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Give corn a stir after a few minutes. Once the kernels start to turn bright yellow and get a little charred, remove pan from heat. Chop up kale into little pieces and toss into pan with the corn while the pan is still hot. Mix around and let the kale wilt a bit from the residual heat.
Ready your tortilla. Place half the cheese onto totilla, add on half of the corn and kale mixture, sprinkle with a bit more cheese and top with another tortilla. Place onto now empty pan and heat up quesadilla until brown on both sides and chesse is melty. Remove from skillet and cut into triangle. Repeat for the second quesadilla.
Serve right away with or without some guacamole, salsa, or sour cream.
plates are not required.