cooking inspiration

Happy New Year 2010!!

I'm not sure if it was the fact that I saw "Julie & Julia" the other night or that Mom gave me a new cookbook for Christmas, but I made two new recipes from this book and they turned out so well!

My favorite of the two was the Peanut and Tofu Cutlet recipe:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown rice
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 3/4  cups peanuts
9 oz firm tofu, drained and crumbled, small bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro) or parsley, chopped (optional)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp olico oil, for shallow frying

1.  Cook the rice according to the instructions.  Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy frying pan and cook onion and garlic over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until softened and golden.

2.  Meanwhile, spread out the peanuts on a baking sheet and toast under a preheated grill (broil) for a few minutes, until browned.

3.  Place the toasted peanuts, onion, garlic, rice, tofu, coriander or parsley, if using, and soy sauce in a blender or food procesor.  Process until the mixture forms a thick paste.  If it is too thick, add a little water.

4.  Divide the paste into eight equal mounds and form each mound into a cutlet shape or square.

5.  Heat the olive oil for shallow frying in a large, heavy frying pan.  Add the cutlets, in two batches if necessary, and cook them for about 5-10 minutes on each side, until they turn golden and are heated through.

The other recipe was a Lentil Soup with lemon and garlic.  Jeff loved it!

Tomorrow I'm making a venison stew in the crock pot.  I've been a vegetarian for 18 years but occasionally (about once a year) I try something that Jeff brings home from the hunt.  Tomorrow might be the night.