What Have You Cooked Recently?

[There She Glows]

REQUEST: I am getting bored with making pressed tofu in the usual way (Japanese-style or Thai with satay sauce). Please share your favorite ways to eat tofu. It’s a popular protein source Chez JAS.

I love tofu just not as a piss poor substitute for meat (fuck tofu burgers). You don't really have to press it, that's a uniquely western thing. The whole reason it comes in different levels of firmness is so that the correct density for the recipe is ready out of the package to be cooked. I do still press it if I'm going to be a crunchy granola hippie and do the marinate/season/bake thing because I prefer the texture that way. If you haven't already you should also try freezing it and see if you like it because it gets a completely different texture, kind of spongy and chewy.

Mapo tofu is one of my favorite foods - szechuan style not Japanese which is too bland. I make it from scratch when I have the time and buy box mix (just add ground pork and tofu) for when I don't. Soondubu Jigae - korean soft tofu stew with pork belly. The slippery texture of soft tofu in a soup understandably puts some people off but I love that shit. Any Chinese recipe with dry fried tofu is good like kung pao tofu. Taiwanese popcorn tofu is the shit, tastes best deep fried but the air fryer or oven does a pretty good approximation.

 

[toilet_rainbow]

Recipe please. I still have some frozen salmon that i'd like to use up in the next few days and that sounds delicious.

Sure, no problem. I'll admit that unless I'm making something for the first time or it must be specific that I tend to just measure marinade ingredients (and seasonings in general) by eyeball.

The marinade I made was a blend of soy sauce, a drop of toasted sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, black pepper, and a splash of water. I marinaded the fillets skin side up for a few minutes while the oven preheated to 400 F/200C and got out my baking dish. When it was time to bake, I transferred the fillets skin side down, spooned the remaining marinade onto the fillets, and then sprinkled sesame seeds on top. Pressed down on the seeds before baking for 12 or so minutes. I basically baked for ten and then tested for flaking.

(PS: You could also broil for the last couple minutes to toast the seeds more, but I didn't do that. Came out tasty as is.)

 

[John Andrews Stan]

You don't really have to press it, that's a uniquely western thing.

I don’t do it out of any sense of obligation; I prefer it that way. In my experience it holds marinades better and just has a much more appealing texture. (We usually buy firm but I got the super firm this week specifically because I wanted to start out with less moisture.)

If you haven't already you should also try freezing it and see if you like it because it gets a completely different texture, kind of spongy and chewy.

Funnily enough, I just did that yesterday thanks to a tip from ChatGPT. Haven’t made it yet because I’m looking for a new marinade to try.

 

[HarveySperg41]

Since it’s pizza day the kids and I made homemade pizza. Cook down some homemade spaghetti sauce to thicken it up. Shredded some parmesan, Asiago, halverti and some slices of mozzarella. The dough is homemade with some whole wheat flour.

 

[Plantation Barbie]

A bean burrito.

 

[naaaaiiiiillllll!!!]

Made French onion soup for the first time. Now I have a whole bunch of leftovers I plan to make a risotto out of.

 

[AnOminous]

Made French onion soup for the first time. Now I have a whole bunch of leftovers I plan to make a risotto out of.

Did you at least bake it in crockery with browned cheese and croutons on top?

 

[Inside your walls]

I made some prawns with spinach and millet.

 

[John Andrews Stan]

I’m looking for a new marinade to try.

Holy fuck, I hit the jackpot. Got some suggestions from ChatGPT and combined what sounded good from those. Turned out to be one of the best things I’ve ever made.

Marinade for tofu (single batch recipe):

• 1/4 cup coconut milk (from can)
• 1 TB lime juice
• 1 TB toasted sesame oil
• 1 TB soy sauce
• 1 TB grated or puréed ginger
• 1 TB honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced

I wanted to make a reduction, so made a double batch of marinade. (The only ingredient I didn’t double was the honey, as I didn’t want it to be that sweet.) After marinating, I simmered the tofu in the marinade for 15-20 minutes until the liquid had reduced by about 90%. Served with saffron rice, salad and vegetable side dishes. HUGE hit.

I used super firm tofu that I’d first frozen and thawed before pressing. I’mma try it next time as a marinade for chicken.

 

[Triple Flutz]

Red curry with vegetables and pork.
Greek salad and pan-fried rainbow trout.
Homemade pizza.
Pork chops with apples and mustard sauce.
Massaman curry.
Chimichurri meatballs as the protein of a grain and veg bowl.
Pork and cabbage dumplings.
Braised cabbage with German potato salad and sausages.
Can't remember the rest.

My husband and I helped a friend who's going through a divorce clear out the house and he was equally understandably pissed off at the situation he found himself in and thankful for our help, so he gave us some brand new cookware he doesn't see himself using for just him because it reminds him too much of her. Anyway, we now own an air fryer and I have no clue how they work and what they excel at. Does anyone have any suggestions? I believe it's 3.2 qt.

 

[HarveySperg41]

Red curry with vegetables and pork.
Greek salad and pan-fried rainbow trout.
Homemade pizza.
Pork chops with apples and mustard sauce.
Massaman curry.
Chimichurri meatballs as the protein of a grain and veg bowl.
Pork and cabbage dumplings.
Braised cabbage with German potato salad and sausages.
Can't remember the rest.

My husband and I helped a friend who's going through a divorce clear out the house and he was equally understandably pissed off at the situation he found himself in and thankful for our help, so he gave us some brand new cookware he doesn't see himself using for just him because it reminds him too much of her. Anyway, we now own an air fryer and I have no clue how they work and what they excel at. Does anyone have any suggestions? I believe it's 3.2 qt.

I usually just re heat stuff in ours. Never made anything in it before.

 

[Plantation Barbie]

Air fryers are great for chicken. Potatoes too.
You can also make bread rolls in them.

 

[maguyver16]

Small reubens with deep fried skinned potatoes

 

[Zashaiba]

A luscious tomato sandwich! Helps with acid reflux too

 

[LaxerBRO]

The new Adam Ragusea recipe. Turned out really good, and he is totally right, is very tasty warm and cold. I couldnt find shallots so I subbed with red onions and used farfelle pasta. Recommend, its going into my staple week night pasta rotation.

Made this on Sunday for meal prep and it turned out pretty good as well.

I had to substitute raw chicken for pre-cooked chicken as the store I was at only had a huge value pack. As a replacement for the fond, I used some butter and olive oil mixed in with Better than Bouillon (chicken) cooked until it started to lightly caramalize.

 

[CHARizard]

Made this on Sunday for meal prep and it turned out pretty good as well.

I had to substitute raw chicken for pre-cooked chicken as the store I was at only had a huge value pack. As a replacement for the fond, I used some butter and olive oil mixed in with Better than Bouillon (chicken) cooked until it started to lightly caramalize.

I did it again yesterday. If you get the chance to use raw chicken, season with salt and pepper and let it really absorb the spices, even better if you can marinate. The chicken is actually the best part of this dish its so juicy and compliments the chilis well.

 

[HarveySperg41]

Has anyone done smoked pork belly? I play around and did one this weekend, it turned out decent. But I want to try again, I know I can do better.

 

[Adamska]

I've taken to making Cheese on Toast as of late, since I have a decent batch of cheddar to use. Pizza toast by the way is dope, it came out nicely with the french bread I had when I mixed my cheeses together.

 

[John Andrews Stan]

This recipe was the inspiration for the most popular broccoli dish Chez JAS. Even kids will eat this by the pound, it’s that good. Goes great with any beef dish as well as any kind of Asian noodles.



We usually omit the honey but if we don’t, we use a scant teaspoon instead of the two tablespoons recommended. The sesame seeds should also be considered optional. I think the original recipe came from a Susie Fishbein cookbook, but I only have the screenshot sent to me by the friend at whose home I first had the dish.

 

[Planetary Bombardment]

This will be my fourth year gardening, and for better or worse I still don't quite know what I'm doing. I've given up on 'big' tomatoes and instead concentrated on smaller ones because not only do the individual plants grow much better in my crap-ass soil but those plants make a hell of a lot more fruit - even if there's way too much rain and they split it looks like I can still just crush them all together and call it good. Pictured is about four cups of tomatoes - varietals Juliet, Red Cherry, and Sun Gold. Red Cherry didn't do so well for me comparatively but not a big deal. All of them are under-ripened, split, or just plain ugly. I threw them together with two medium white onions, a whole head of garlic, and a couple of jalapeños just because I had them. Cooked 'em down, added about a cup of pasta water, and on top of some linguine had a great lunch that was vegetarian rather by accident.

Afterwards I dumped in a 28oz can of store-bought diced tomatoes, used an immersion blender to give everything a homogeneous consistency, called it pomodoro sauce and froze it in a Mason jar. I fuckin' love me some tomatoes.

Spoiler: Pictures