Sunday, September 06, 2009

Cassoulet, Artichoke Dip, Ciabatta, Mixed Green Salad with Blue Sheese

Dinner 9/06

Cassoulet

Artichoke Dip

Ciabatta

Mixed Green Salad with Blue Sheese



Liz made two ciabatta loaves this afternoon, so we had that with the cassoulet and artichoke dip (specifically requested by our daughter, for her, it's its own food group).

If you're looking for a hearty French recipe, this vegan version of cassoulet will fit the bill...

White Bean Cassoulet

1 medium onion sliced
1 tbs. of garlic, minced
2 tsp. herbes de provence (or thyme)
1 tbs. smoked paprika

8 oz. soyrizo (or soaked TVP plus 1 tsp. of cumin)
15 oz. can of cannellini beans
1/2 cup tomato sauce (or fresh tomatoes diced)
salt and pepper to taste

Hickory Smoked Twice-Fried Tofu (see below)

In a saute pan over medium heat, add 1 tbs. olive oil and the sliced onion. cook until translucent and just starting to show some color, 4-6 minutes. Add the garlic, herbes de provence and smoked paprika and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a plate.

Add 1 tbs. of olive oil and add the soyrizo (or tvp) and saute, scraping the pan occasionally until starting to show signs of caramelization, 4-6 minutes.

Add the onion and garlic back to the pan along with the cannellini beans (and their liquid), tomato sauce. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so it won't stick to the bottom as it will get quite thick near the end of cooking. Check for seasoning as the beans will probably need some salt at this point.

Add the twice-fried tofu and serve hot.

Twice-Fried Tofu

16 oz. extra-firm tofu cut into eight rectangular cutlets
canola oil
pepper
tamari

Cut the tofu into eight individual cutlets.

If you're smoking the tofu, add the hickory chips to your smoker box and process for 20-30 minutes. Remove the tofu from smoker box.

Over med-high heat add the canola oil and pan-fry until golden brown on both sides (about 8 minutes). Remove from pan and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Or, you can refrigerate the tofu at this point, up to a day in advance.

Slice the tofu diagonally into strips about a 1/4" thick. Add about 1 tsp. of canola oil to the pan, and return to med-high heat, turning occasionally for 3-5 minutes. Lower the heat to low, add tamari to taste (about 1 tbs.) and continue to cook for an addition 1-2 minutes until the tofu begins to get crispy.

If you don't have a smoker, you can add 1 tsp. of smoked paprika right after the tamari.




The salad was a nice green counterpart, topped with carrots and Blue Sheese.



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