Cooking for Two (18 page)
3.
Whisk the reserved soaking liquid, soy sauce, Shao Shing, red chili paste, and sugar together in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
4.
Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Swirl in the peanut oil, then toss in the scallions, carrot, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry for 1 minute, or just until the scallions soften. Pour in the soy sauce mixture, stir well, then bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
5.
Meanwhile, place the tofu and sliced mushroom caps in an oiled bamboo steamer set over a pot half full of simmering water, or in an oiled vegetable steamer set over 1 inch of simmering water. Cover and steam for 6 minutes. Remove the tofu from the steamer. Be careful—the steam can burn your hands and the tofu is quite fragile. Transfer the tofu block to a cutting board and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Set aside along with the steamed mushrooms.
6.
In a small bowl or teacup, whisk the arrowroot and water until well combined. Whisk this into the saucepan with the simmering soy sauce mixture, just until thickened; stir in the cubed tofu, the steamed mushrooms, and the rice vinegar. Cover the pan, remove from the heat, and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
NOTE:
Red cooked tofu is traditionally made with dark soy sauce, an aged condiment available in most Asian markets and in the Asian section of some gourmet stores. You can also use regular soy sauce, or even low-sodium soy sauce. In any event, do not use the confusingly named “light soy sauce,” a very pungent, ketchup-like sauce.
EGGIE
B
URGERS
makes2 large patties
S
imilar to falafel, these burgers are made with chopped vegetables, but are bound together with rolled oats rather than chickpeas. Allow the burgers to rest for at least an hour before frying so that the oats become sticky enough to hold the vegetables in place. Serve the patties on hamburger buns with tomato, lettuce, ketchup, or mustard; in pita rounds, with shredded lettuce and a creamy salad dressing; or simply on their own, with chutney and mustard on the side.
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil 2 medium scallions, thinly sliced ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon rolled oats (do not use quickcooking) 1 small zucchini (about 4 ounces), thinly sliced 1 small carrot, shredded | 1½ tablespoons tahini (see page 54) 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or 1 teaspoon dried Parsley 1 teaspoon soy sauce ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup flour, plus more for your hands |
1.
Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Swirl in 2 teaspoons of the oil, add the scallions, and cook for 2 minutes, just until soft. Scrape the scallions and any oil into a food processor fitted with the chopping blade or into a large blender. Add the oats, zucchini, carrot, tahini, parsley, soy sauce, mustard, and pepper. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. The recipe can be made in advance up to this point; store the covered mixture in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
2.
Place the flour on a large plate; dust your hands with flour as well. Form the vegetable mixture into two large, thin patties, 4 inches in
diameter and about ½ inch thick. Dip them one at a time in the flour, coating both sides. Brush off any excess flour.
3.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, then slip the patties into the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Turn, using a wide spatula because the patties are fragile, and cook for about 3 more minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve at once.
RISPY
P
OLENTA WITH
M
USHROOMS
makes2 servings
P
olenta, a northern Italian classic, is nothing more than a thickened cornmeal mixture. But when fried crisp in olive oil and topped with sautéed mushrooms, it’s definitely a meal for two, warm and satisfying. Serve this entrée with a light fruit salad, dressed with lemon juice, chopped rosemary, and olive oil.
1½ teaspoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plusadditional for buttering the pan 1½ cups water ½ cup coarse yellow cornmeal 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about ½ ounce) ½ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, thinly sliced 8 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced (see Note) | 6 tablespoons dry vermouth 1 tablespoon tomato paste ½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, or ¼ teaspoon dried Thyme ½ teaspoon chopped freshrosemary, or ¼ teaspoon chopped dried rosemary ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper |
1.
Butter a 1-quart round soufflé dish; set aside.
2.
Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan set over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the cornmeal with a wooden spoon, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Continue adding tablespoonfuls of the cornmeal, stirring each in before adding the next. Once all the cornmeal has been added, reduce the heat to very low and continue cooking for about 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until the polenta begins to leave a film on the bottom and sides of the saucepan. In these small quantities, polenta can scorch, so keep the flame low and stir constantly.
3.
Stir in the 1½ teaspoons butter, the cheese, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Pour the hot polenta mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Set aside to cool and firm up for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the mushrooms. You can also make the polenta up to a day in advance, storing it, covered, in the refrigerator; let it come back to room temperature before continuing with the recipe.
4.
Heat a medium skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, then add the onion. Cook for 3 minutes, or until golden, stirring frequently. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until they release their liquid and it is nearly evaporated, stirring occasionally.
5.
Add the vermouth, tomato paste, thyme, and rosemary; bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until thickened like a sauce. Stir in the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Set aside off the heat, covered to keep warm.
6.
Run a knife around the sides of the polenta to release it from the casserole dish. Turn the polenta out onto your work surface and cut it, like a pie, into six even wedges. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet or sauté pan set over medium heat. When the oil begins to smoke, carefully add the polenta wedges. Fry for about 4 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp, turning once.
7.
To serve, divide the wedges between two plates. Spoon the mushroom sauce around and over them. Serve immediately.
NOTE:
Any type of mushroom can work in this dish. For a decadent treat, use fresh porcini. Or mix fresh porcini with other mushrooms, such as shiitake, portobello, lobster, or hen of the wood, all cleaned and sliced into thin strips. Use a small, soft-bristle brush to remove any dirt.
ULLED
” P
OTATO AND
V
EGETABLE
S
ANDWICHES
makes2 large or 4 small sandwiches
T
he idea for this vegetarian dish came from barbecue pulled pork sandwiches. In those, the meat is cooked until it can be pulled into threads. Here, the vegetables are shredded, then mixed into a vinegary barbecue sauce. If you like your sandwiches spicy, pass additional Tabasco sauce alongside. And pass various condiments as well, such as pickle relish, sliced tomatoes, and shredded lettuce.
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons cider vinegar ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons water, plus more if necessary 2 tablespoons packed darkbrown sugar 2 teaspoons dry mustard 2 teaspoons mild paprika ½ teaspoon celery seeds ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 dashes Tabasco sauce, or to taste 1 medium carrot, shredded | 1 small yellow-fleshed potato (about 4 ounces), such as Yukon Gold, peeled and shredded 1 very small Savoy cabbage (about 9 ounces), outer leaves removed, cored, and the remaining leaves shredded ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste 2 or 4 challah rolls, kaiserrolls, or hamburger buns (depending on if you want 2 large or 4 small sandwiches) |
cup ketchup1.
Stir the ketchup, vinegar, ¼ cup of the water, the brown sugar, dry mustard, paprika, celery seeds, pepper, and Tabasco sauce in a large saucepan set over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stir in the carrot and potato, and continue simmering for 5 minutes, stirring often.
2.
Lay the cabbage on top of the simmering sauce and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of water over it. Do not stir. Cover the pan,
reduce the heat to very low, and steam the cabbage for 3 minutes undisturbed.
3.
Stir to thoroughly incorporate the cabbage, cover the pan, and continue cooking for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is quite thick, stirring occasionally. If the mixture boils vigorously or starts to stick, reduce the heat even further, to the barest flame, then add water in 2 tablespoon increments, until the sauce is thick but not pastelike.
4.
When the vegetables are tender, remove the pan from the heat, season with salt, and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Serve on challah rolls, kaiser rolls, or hamburger buns.
EGETABLE
T
AGINE
makes2 generous servings