Soba, Cucumber and Mango Make Friends with Some Tasty Tofu

Tofu and soba – they go together like "rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong"  

Today's was the post that nearly wasn't. I was planning to do a soba noodle salad but the details of it were yet to come together, particularly what to serve with it. I thought about salmon and trout and scallops. All good options, but things I cook all the time. I wanted to do something a little different. Because I have a baby in tow, I've fallen into a routine of cooking and photographing for the blog a day ahead of time, and I've usually researched and shopped for the recipe at least a couple of days in advance. Not so yesterday. Yesterday, the idea of what to make and how to round out the recipe popped into my head while on a stroll with my little guy, who was refusing to take his morning nap. I thought the fresh (read: frigid) air would help. It did. He conked out, and I end up getting a coffee and hitting the mall. Somewhere between Baby Gap and Old Navy the idea of marinated tofu came to mind. It was the perfect accompaniment. Then I was wondering how to freshen up the soba noodles, and decided on mango and cucumber. Cilantro would be nice. Maybe edamame. Definitely ginger. On the way home, I stopped to pick up what I needed, but Rory was awake and in no mood to spend one more minute out, and certainly not content to hang out at the grocery store. I dashed around managing to remember about half of my mental list. When I got home, I realized I bought the wrong tofu, medium instead of firm. Okay, not a disaster, but I wasn't sure if it would work. 

Then this happened...

Splat! Tofu hits the deck. I can laugh about it now.

And I cursed just a tiny bit. Super-important cooking tip here: actually seal the resealable plastic bag, especially if you plan to turn it upside down. (Also, why are messes such a magnet for cats and babies?) I thought about scrapping the lot. But that seemed a little overly dramatic. While that tofu ended up in the garbage, thankfully, I had just enough left to make this:

Marinated & Baked Tofu

And after that rambling preamble, here's what I have to say about it. It was tasty. Even though I didn't have the right tofu, it held together. I couldn't marinate it for long enough because I was on a tight let's-get-this-thing-done-before-the-baby-wakes-up schedule (nap number two), but it was enough to impart flavour. So I share this recipe with the caveat that I didn't do it perfectly. This recipe is decidedly not triple tested. So what you see here is a little pale, not as imbued with marinade or as golden as it should be. Yours will be better. As for soba or buckwheat noodles, well that was the easy part. They cook quickly and have lots of nutty flavour. Had I remembered my whole list, I would have probably added some cilantro and maybe edamame, but maybe not. Maybe simpler is better. I played with the dressing until it was a good balance of salty, sour and sweet. I find different tamari/soy sauces and miso pastes have different salt levels, so you may need to adjust based on your brand. If you don't have mirin, which is sweet, you can add a touch more sweetness, maybe a bit more vinegar. A quick tip, the tamari/soy sauce in the dressing will darken the mango and cucumber and dull their bright flavours, so this is an eat-right-away versus do-ahead; although the dressing, of course, is made ahead in order to marinate the tofu.

So please accept today's harried and humble offering. I can attest that it makes for a very good, long-overdue lunch eaten standing up by the kitchen sink, but I imagine it will also hold up to somewhat more noble circumstances should you deem it worthy.

Soba Noodle, Cucumber & Mango Salad with Marinated Tofu 

Prep Time: 10 min. | Total Time: 50 min., plus marinade time | Serves: 4

Dressing
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp tamari or light soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp mirin 
1 tbsp agave syrup or 3/4 tbsp honey
2 tsp miso paste
2 tsp grated ginger 
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced, divided
1tsp seeded and finely chopped red finger chili

Tofu
1 pkg firm or extra firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes

Salad
1 mango, peeled and julienned
1/2 English cucumber, julienned 
1 pkg/200 g soba noodles 
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Whisk together ingredients for the dressing, using half the green onions and half the chili, setting aside remaining for later use. Place half the dressing in resealable plastic bag with tofu cubes, seal and place in the refrigerator. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Reserve remaining dressing, refrigerating until needed.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place tofu in a sieve and drain excess marinade. Place tofu on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for approx. 40 to 45 min. until golden, turning every 10 to 15 min.

Meanwhile, cook soba noodles in salted boiling water for approx. 5 min. until al dente. Drain and place in a bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking process and cool. Drain and place in a large bowl. Add mango, cucumber, reserved green onion and chili and sesame seeds. Toss with reserved dressing. Serve soba salad with tofu, on the side or on top.

Bobotie: A Sexy Take On Shepherd's Pie

Make tonight South African night with Bobotie

When I was in my early twenties, I worked as an associate editor for a lifestyle magazine that featured travel and food stories. This was in the early 2000s, when press junkets were still the norm. (Maybe they still are, but I haven't been on one in a very long time!) My well-connected editor was offered so many of these freebie trips she couldn't attend them all, and I was the lucky recipient of a few of her cast offs. One of the most memorable and fantastic experiences was a 10-day trip to South Africa. 

We toured Pretoria, Jo-burg and Cape Town. We visited Robben Island, Soweto and the Apartheid Museum. We safaried (I rode an elephant!), toured the wineries of the Stellenbosch region, took a cable car to the top of Table Mountain and saw penguins that sounded like donkeys at Cape Point. And we ate fabulous food!

My job on this life-changing trip was to source South African recipes and tell the story of the country through its cuisine. South Africa has a rich culinary heritage and many, many fantastic restaurants. One of the quintessential dishes was Bobotie, which is a national dish of sorts. Spice-filled, meaty and almost creamy, Bobotie is like the sexiest Shepherd's Pie you'll ever eat. I have tried several recipes, but the one I like best ironically comes from the Irish cookbook I told you about a couple of weeks ago. Their recipe is by of Silwood Kitchen School of Cookery in Cape Town, the oldest cooking school in South Africa, so it's pretty legit. 

Bobotie is a true fusion dish with a storied history, much like that of South Africa itself. It is referred to as a Cape-Malay dish and stems from the Dutch colonization of both Indonesia and South Africa in the 17th century and the influence of the food cooked by the Malaysian slaves who were brought there. Like any iconic recipe, there are many, many iterations, but the basic components include ground meat, often lamb, cooked with spices, nuts, dried fruit and sometimes fruit chutney. This mixture is then topped with an egg-and-milk topping and baked. The version here doesn't include dried fruit or chutney, and I think it's one of the more authentic versions I've tasted. If you'd like to add dried fruit, sultanas or chopped dried apricots are typical; I'd say about 1/4 to 1/3 cup. Don't be put off by the amount of different spices – if you've got curry powder, ground ginger and cinnamon, you'll be in good shape. (Although turmeric is a wonderful spice and so good for you – it's worth buying!) A key step I discovered if you use lamb or regular ground beef (vs. lean or extra lean) is to brown it separately first and drain off the fat. The first time I made this dish, I followed the recipe exactly (although it wasn't very detailed; like, no cook times or anything!), and it was very greasy – the method I've added below works like a charm and is also a good tip when making Shepherd's Pie. 

Although not the prettiest dish, it's a warming, comforting meal that has pizzaz. Serve with rice and salad, and you've got (a South African) dinner! 

Bobotie
Prep Time: 15 min. | Total Time: 45 min. | Serves: 4-6
*Adapted from Ballymaloe Cookery Course by Darina Allen

1 lb ground lamb or beef
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2-1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp each ground coriander seed, turmeric and sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 tsp lemon zest 
1 tsp seeded, finely chopped red finger chili (optional)
2 tbsp chopped parsley or cilantro 
1 tbsp chopped slivered almonds 
2 slices thick white bread soaked in milk, drained and squeezed dry
1 tbsp red wine vinegar 
salt and pepper to taste

Buttermilk Topping
1 cup buttermilk 
2 eggs 
pinch salt and pepper
2-1/2 tsp turmeric 

Preheat oven to 350ºF. 

In a large skillet, cook lamb on medium-high heat until beginning to brown and juices are released, approx. 3 to 5 min. Remove lamb to a sieve placed over a bowl to allow excess fat to drain; discard fat. Rinse and dry skillet. Return skillet to heat and add oil. Cook onions over medium heat until translucent, approx. 3 min. Add lamb back to skillet and continue to cook until browned, approx. 2 to 3 min. Add spices and stir to incorporate, cooking for approx. 1 min. Add garlic, zest, chili, herbs and almonds and stir, cooking for approx. 1 min. Add bread and vinegar, stirring and breaking up bread to incorporate, approx. 1 min. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl whisk together the ingredients for the buttermilk topping. Strain mixture through a sieve into another bowl, using a spatula to push the mixture through. 

Place meat mixture into a shallow baking dish, pressing down to flatten with spatula. Pour buttermilk mixture evenly overtop. Bake until topping is set and golden, approx. 25 min.

Creamy, Dreamy Baked Risotto

Baked Risotto with Prosciutto & Peas

A nice slice 

Once upon a time, if you came to my house for dinner, you ate risotto. I learned to make risotto, really good risotto, before it was trendy, before it was in every magazine and on every cooking show. Before it was being tweaked, tinkered with and short-cutted to the point that it no longer resembled risotto. I've made risottos with butternut squash (a favourite), salmon, lemon and peas. I've made arancini with the leftovers. The first dinner I cooked for my husband was a mushroom risotto – my piece de resistance. Taking this as a challenge, he made a chicken risotto, which he claimed was far superior. We have a small, simmering rivalry in the kitchen, you see.

And then we kind of stopped making risotto. I guess we overdid it? Who knows. But it's been a long time. 

Then a few weeks ago I was watching Giada De Laurentiis cook this recipe, her Nonna's baked risotto. It looked so interesting, so comforting, so authentic. I had to try it! And I'm so glad I did. I am newly inspired by risotto!

Now this is nothing like a steaming, silky bowl of rich creamy risotto. It's more similar to a baked pasta. The rice still retains its bite but it melds with the other ingredients, forming a cohesive wedge when sliced. To us, this is the perfect side dish. Creamy, comforting and flavourful, but low-key, not asserting itself over the meal. We served it with a punchy veal piccata which was the perfect counterpoint. And boy would kids love this!

It's a simple recipe but somewhat step heavy, a Sunday afternoon versus a Tuesday night dish. I had two challenges with it to give you the heads up about in case you run into the same problems. One, that my springform pan was 10" instead of 9", meaning mine was less dense; I should have reduced the cooking time by 10 minutes or so – it was just a smidge dry. Two, you wrap the whole springform pan in foil and cook it in a water bath and my foil wrapping sprung a leak. I thought this would be disastrous – it wasn't – but the bottom and sides lacked the crispness they would have had. It's really, really important to wrap this baby up well with no seams for the water to trickle in. 

I can't wait to try this again, play with the flavours and see what else I can come up with. So if you come to my house for dinner, this might just be on the menu. 

Getting it all together – a few key steps 

Baked Risotto with Prosciutto & Peas
*adapted from Giada De Laurentiis 

2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
4 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
4 eggs, at room temperature, beaten
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs or panko 

Bechamel 
3 tbsp unsalted butter 
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1-1/4 cup milk, at room temperature
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350ºF with rack in middle of oven. Prepare a 9" springform pan by greasing with butter on the bottom and sides; wrap the outside with a large piece of foil so there are no gaps or seams.

Place rice and marinara sauce in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce to medium/medium-low, simmering for 6 min. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare bechamel sauce by melting butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and whisk until smooth, 1 to 2 min. Gradually add the milk, whisking to prevent lumps. Simmer over medium-low heat, whisking, until the sauce is thick and smooth, approx. 6 min. Stir in salt and nutmeg. 

In a large bowl, gently mix together rice mixture, bechamel sauce, 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, prosciutto and peas until well incorporated. Slowly mix in eggs, salt and pepper until incorporated. 

Pour mixture into prepared springform pan, cover with foil. Place in a roasting pan. Fill roasting pan with hot water until it comes halfway up sides of springform pan, ensuring no water gets inside foil wrapping. Bake 1 hr.

Remove foil cover and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and remaining Parmigiano Reggiano. Turn oven to broil (500ºF). Broil for approx. 2 to 3 min. until top is golden. Remove from pans from oven; remove springform pan from foil onto a plate or serving dish. Allow to cool 15 min. Loosen edges with a knife or metal spatula; remove sides of pan. Cut into wedges to serve. 

Taking the Cheese Out of Cauliflower

No cheese here – Lemon-Garlic Roasted Cauliflower 

As a kid, I used to love cauliflower because my mom, Carol, always made a really decadent cheesy sauce to go on top. She made this béchamel-based sauce so frequently (it went on broccoli, too) that she had one of those electric self-stirring sauce-making appliances that were so popular in the '80s. Without that cheese sauce though, the cauliflower itself was kinda boring. (Don't judge my mom on her '80s cauliflower, she's an exceptional cook! Sorry mom!) Fast forward to 2014, and, along with our hair styles, cauliflower has evolved; like kale and Brussels sprouts before it, now it's actually kinda hip. 

One of my favourite ways to serve it up is to roast it. Roasting brings out its sweetness, making it – dare, I say – almost addictive. The great thing about cauliflower is that it's a blank canvas that'll take any kind of spices or seasoning. Here's a base recipe and inspiration for switching it up.

Roasted Cauliflower 
Prep Time: 10 min. | Total Time: 45 min. | Serves: 4

1 head cauliflower, cut in florets or sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
pinch each salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Toss cauliflower in oil, salt and pepper to coat. Spread cauliflower evenly on a rimmed baking sheet; place in middle rack of oven. Roast for approx. 30 min., stirring half way through, until cauliflower is tender and starting to brown and caramelize.

Line your baking sheet with parchment paper to
prevent sticking and for easy cleanup

Switch it Up!
Lemon-Garlic Toss with 1 clove minced garlic and zest of 1 lemon before roasting. (Garnish with thyme, if you're taking a photo and need a hit of green – see above!)

Mediterranean Once roasted, toss with 1/2 cup chopped grape tomatoes, 1 tbsp chopped capers and/or olives and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar. 

Middle Eastern Toss with 1 tsp each ground cumin and turmeric before roasting (if like Middle Eastern herbs and spices, sumac would be delicious here, too, or try 1 tbsp za'atar instead).

Herbed Panko Once roasted, toss with 1/4 cup toasted panko crumbs (sautéed in 1 tbsp butter until golden) and 2 tbsp chopped parsley.

Parmesan (okay, technically this is cheese but it's delicious!) In the last 10 min. of roasting, once cauliflower is tender, sprinkle with 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese and continue roasting until parmesan is melted and golden, approx. 10 min.

I'd love to hear how you're cooking up cauliflower – do you go classic or are you trying something new? I'm going to try this recipe from Jamie Oliver next, where he turns cauliflower into faux rice. I'll let you know how it goes. 

Eating Out: Momofuku Shoto, Toronto

A trio of amuse to start the meal

Ian and I love discovering incredible places to eat. We'll hibernate for a month so we can splurge and try somewhere new, and when we travel, it's top on our list to research the best restaurants and food experiences in the area, whether that's fine dining, a local market or a food truck. Lucky for us, Toronto is a very good place to live if you want to eat well.

Momofuku's Shoto has been on our list for a while and Ian's birthday was the perfect excuse. Shoto is on the upper level of the Momofuku complex hidden behind the main restaurant on that floor, Daisho. Like all of David Chang's enterprises, Shoto is relaxed and cool. Guests sit at a U-shaped counter that overlooks an open prep area. The sommelier/server was wearing jeans and a flannel shirt. The playlist ran the gamut from Metallica to Stevie Wonder. And the sous chefs plating in front of us were doing their thing, no airs and graces.

We opted for the new multi-course tasting, which offers five to six dishes instead of the usual 10. I'm all for these pared down tasting menus because I tend to get uncomfortably full by the end of a regular tasting. Highlights of the meal included a silky cauliflower soup over a delightful nugget of cauliflower tempura, blow-torched mackerel with beet puree and shiso leaf, a ragu with buckwheat noodles and super-tender chicken with earthy lentils and Jerusalem artichoke.

At the end of the service, the chefs chatted with us, asking us how we enjoyed the meal, talking food and restaurants and generally making the experience all the more enjoyable, leaving us looking forward to having another good "excuse" to go back.

Play Dates Go Gourmet

A rustic puff pastry tart with butternut squash, shallots and triple cream cheese

As a new mom (my son, Rory, is eight months old), I've endured my fair share of cold cups of coffee and scavenged lunches (yesterday it was a bit of leftover pea puree and half a piece of toast). So when I get together with a couple of my mom friends for a play date, I like to make sure we eat well – they (and I) deserve it. Plus, these ladies are former colleagues from the magazine I used to work on, Inspired, so they know their food.

It was my turn to host last week and inspiration came by way of Nigel Slater's book Appetite, which is really a non-recipe book. He offers up base recipes with lots of adaptations to make them your own. I liked the look of an onion tart that used store-bought puff pastry as the base (this is a cooking shortcut I'm totally okay with), and I improvised with the toppings, using roasted butternut squash and shallots and a triple cream cheese called Brillat Savarin by Didier Lincet that we'd picked up at our local cheese shop in Kensington Market. This tart is a really flexible food idea that can take on any seasonal ingredients: I didn't want to waste the second block of puff pastry, so for dinner that night, I sautéed mushrooms, garlic and red onions with some thyme and rosemary, which was also great. When it comes to cheeses, you can use any cheese that takes your fancy – goat's cheese, fresh mozzarella, brie or even grated or sliced cheddar. Here's the general recipe:

Butternut Squash, Shallot & Cheese Tart
Peel, remove pulp and seeds and thinly slice one butternut squash and roast on a baking sheet in a 350ºF oven (I lightly coated mine with some olive oil and seasoned with a pinch each of salt, pepper and paprika) for about 20-30 min., until lightly caramelized. At the same time, roast two large sliced shallots (also lightly coated in oil and seasoned). If your squash is sliced thinly enough, they should be ready around the same time, but keep an eye on the shallots as they cook fairly quickly. This step can be done ahead (I got the veg all ready the day before).

Lightly flour your kitchen counter (or other rolling surface) and roll thawed puff pastry into a square or rectangle until it's quite thin (Slater says no thicker than a 10-pence coin, which is similar in thickness to five cents). Transfer your rolled pastry to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and use a fork to lightly prick the pastry, leaving a small border around the edge that will puff up and hold the fillings in. Layer squash and shallots on to the pastry, dot with chunks of cheese and sprinkle with fresh thyme and freshly ground pepper and brush the border with melted butter. Bake at 400ºF for about 15-20 min. until the pastry is golden and puffed and the cheese is melted and browning. 

Serving Tip: If you're not going to serve the tart right away, transfer to a cooling rack so it will keep its crispness. I left mine on the baking sheet for about half an hour while we fed, corralled and generally juggled babies, and the bottom was slightly soggy.