Your Cooking Coach
Show MenuHide Menu

Tag: fresh

Cauliflower and Sausage Pasta with Pesto
  • 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • 2 to 3 sausage, crumbled
  • 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
  • ½ pound cooked pasta with 1 cup pasta water spared

Transfer the cauliflower florets to a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle salt and olive oil. Roast under a hot broiler till all sides are golden brown- about 10 minutes on each side. Take out and keep aside.

Pesto

  • 1 full cup fresh basil
  • 1 garlic cloves
  • ¼ cup pistachios
  • 2 anchovy fillets
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Salt

Add the garlic and pistachios to a food processor. Pulse till chopped. Add the basil, anchovy fillets, start pulsing and drizzle the olive oil and proxess till a smooth sauce is formed. Take out of the processor, add the cheese, lemon juice and salt to taste. Keep aside.

Heat a wide frying pan and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the crumbled sausage and sauté on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt and sauté for another 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and ½ cup of the pasta water. Add the pesto, mix well and check for seasonings. Add more pasta water if necessary. Serve warm.

 

 

Crispy Tofu with Sugar Snap Peas

Celebrating Chinese New Year!

This is a great recipe to make for Meatless Mondays… I love making tofu dishes- we all love it. Recently I have been getting my inspiration from the New York Times cooking site – it has lots of really really good ideas. This recipe is from there.. I tweaked it a bit but it is still quite similar. Try this one, it is a winner!

  • 1 14 ounces package extra firm tofu
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/3 cup corn starch

Sauce

  • 4 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 large jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
  • Juice of 2 medium limes
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons fish sauce
  • 2 teaspoons honey

Transfer all the ingredients to small bowl, mix well and set aside.

  • Peanut oil
  • 2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Drain tofu and wrap it with several layers of paper towel and place on a plate. Top with a heavy can and let the tofu drain for 30 minutes. Unwrap the tofu and into four parts and then diagonally. Dry with more paper towels and keep aside.

Transfer the cornstarch and salt into a wide bowl. Dredge the tofu and set aside. In the meantime, heat a large skillet over high heat. Add 3 tablespoons peanut oil and start browning the tofu on each side for 2 to 3 minutes. Take out of the pan, add more peanut oil and add the sugar snap peas and scallions. Stir fry until soften- 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Add the tofu and garnish with cilantro, basil and sesame seeds. Serve with brown rice.