thai curry soup with silken tofu and herbs

 

Spicy, creamy and herby.  My favorite things. This soup was SO good that my daughter asked what kind of witchcraft it was. :)  My husband declared it Hall of Fame.  We'll be enjoying this one again for sure. 

thai curry soup with silken tofu and herbs (The New York Times Cooking Page-a-Day Calendar)

2 (14 ounce) packages silken tofu, drained

2 tablespoons oil (I used 1 tablespoon)

2 shallots, peeled and minced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

1 (1-inch piece ginger, scrubbed and grated)

3 tablespoons red curry paste

1 (14 ounce) container fresh cherry tomatoes

1 quart vegetable stock

1 (13.5 ounce) can full fat coconut milk

salt

1/4 cup soy sauce

freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups mixed fresh herbs such as cilantro, basil and dill (I used cilantro and basil)

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 lime, cut into wedges for squeezing

Pat the tofu blocks dry with a clean paper towel.  Cut each block into 3 slices.

Heat a medium Dutch oven of heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high.  Add the oil and shallots, and stir until softened, 2 minutes.  Add the garlic, ginger and curry paste, stir, and cook until fragrant and the paste turns deep red, 2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, stir and bring to a simmer.  Simmer until the tomato juices thicken slightly, 4 minutes.

Pour in the vegetable stock, stir, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer to slightly reduce the liquid, 10 minutes.  Stir in the coconut milk, season to taste with salt and remove from the heat.

While the broth is simmering, divide the soft tofu into 6 bowls.  Break each slice into 4-5 pieces.  Season each bowl with 2 teaspoons of soy sauce and a few cracks of black pepper, and top with about 1/4 cup of the fresh herb mix.

Ladle the hot broth and tomatoes over the bowls of silken tofu.  Top with sliced scallions and serve hot, with lime wedges for squeezing. 

korean vegetable pancake

 

One of my college roommates used to make these vegetable pancakes and they were SO good.  This is a great recipe!  Our family loves these.

korean vegetable pancake (maangchi.com)

serves:2

for a large 12-inch pancake

about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of sliced vegetables:

4 green onions, cut 1" long

1/3 cup leek, thinly sliced

1/2 cup zucchini matchsticks

1 jalapeno, sliced

3 ounces white onion, sliced

few mushrooms, sliced

also for the pancake:

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup water

vegetable oil

for the dipping sauce:

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru)

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Make the dipping sauce by combining dipping sauce ingredients.

To make the batter, combine the green onion, leek, zucchini, jalapeno, mushrooms and onion.  Add the flour, salt, and 3/4 cup water.  Mix it well with a wooden spoon.

Heat up a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and swirl it around to coat the skillet evenly.  Add the batter to the skillet and spread it out evenly.

Turn down the heat to medium.  Cook 4-5 minutes until the bottom turns crunchy and light golden brown.  Grab the handle of the skillet and twirl in around so the pancake moves and is cooked evenly underneath.

Turn or flip over the pancake.

Increase the heat to medium high and add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil along the edges of the pancake.  Lift up one edge with your spatula and tilt the skillet so the oil flows underneath the pancake.

Cook for 3-4 minutes until both sides turn light golden brown.

Flip it over one more time and cook another 2 minutes.

Serve right away with the dipping sauce.

coconut red curry with tofu

 

I was given a recipe calendar for Christmas and made the goal of cooking one recipe per week from it.  This curry is very good.  In fact, my husband thinks it's the best curry I've made yet.  I thought the spice level was perfect; nice and spicy.

coconut red curry with tofu (The New York Times Cooking Page A Day Calendar 2024)

14 ounces extra firm tofu

1 tablespoon oil

1-inch ginger root, peeled and minced

1 small onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 serrano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste

3 tablespoons prepared red curry paste

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce

zest and juice of one lime (I did not use the zest)

1 cup snow peas

basil and/or cilantro leaves, for garnish

brown or white rice, for serving (I cooked brown rice noodles)

Cut tofu into a-inch slabs and place on paper towel-lined baking sheet. Cover with another layer of paper towels and place another baking sheet on top.  Let sit for 20 minutes.  Cut into 1-inch cubes.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add ginger, onion, garlic, chile and cilantro and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add mushrooms and saute until golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt.  Stir in curry paste and cook 2 minutes.  Pour in coconut milk, scraping up any curry paste with a wooden spoon.  Add fish sauce, lime zest and juice.  Add tofu cubes and snow peas.  Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the snow peas are tender, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Taste and add more salt and/or fish sauce if needed.

Serve warm with brown rice and scattering of torn basil and/or cilantro leaves on top.