Book of Yum

After all the squash I’d been eating, I suddenly started craving tofu like nobody’s business. But not just any tofu would do. No, somehow I wanted tofu in peanut sauce. The inspiration actually came from a coconut rice recipe I’d invented for Thanksgiving. My dairy-free, soy-free Mom had mentioned a childhood favorite recipe based on a little bit of rice, maraschino cherries, and pineapple. Usually people add whipped cream or some other dairy based ingredient, but she wanted to try making some without any dairy. I thought about adding rice milk, but didn’t think it would add much flavor- and then it occurred to me to substitute a healthy swig of coconut milk for some of the water in the rice cooker. After all, coconut milk should go well with tropical fruits, and it is way more decadent and flavorful than demure rice milk. So, I added a small (not light!) can of coconut milk to the rice. Mom used a little of the rice for her salad, and I decided to try some of the leftover coconut enriched rice with my acorn squash. It was delicious drizzled with vegetarian gravy or even topped with some cranberry sauce- and I couldn’t help but think it would be even better with a savory peanut sauce Asian-fusion dish. I thumbed through one of my favorite vegetarian cookbooks, the simply named and brilliantly themed “Peanut Butter Planet” and picked one of the recipe for “Szechuan stir fry with Fiery Peanut Sauce.” The only trouble was, we didn’t have any of the vegetables they used, so I had to improvise with the onions, portobello mushrooms, and carrots in our fridge. I also decided to kick up the tofu preparation methods a notch to add more texture to the dish. To my delight, these ingredients resulted in a rich, savory peanut dish that would do a Thai yellow curry proud. Indulge your taste for savory peanut sauce, meaty portobello strips and satisfying tofu with this dish… and while you’re at it, why not try this subtle rice variation. Take a plain spoonful of this heavenly coconut rice and close your eyes while you chew- it’s that good.

In the mood for coconut?
Try Coconut Carob Truffles
Karina’s Coconut Recipes
By the Bay’s Coconut Mashed Yams
Naomi’s Chocolate Mint Coconut Cream
Or my Ginger Coconut Peanut Sauce, perfect for grilled vegetables!

Share your favorite coconut or peanut recipes in the comments, or share your post URL’s…
I’ll add them to this yummy list!

Savory Tofu Peanut Sauce Stir Fry Recipe with Coconut Rice Recipe Main Course  Rice  Asian

Ingredients Coconut Rice: 2 cups (rice cooker measurement) short grained white rice 1/2 can lite coconut milk (or small regular coconut milk) Sauce: 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup natural peanut butter 1/8 cup San-J low sodium wheat free tamari 2 tbsp rice vinegar 2 tsp brown sugar 1 tsp ketchup 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (more if you like the heat) 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp water, reserved Stir Fry: 1/2 yellow onion, sliced into thick strips 1 portobello mushroom, including stem. Slice cap and dice stem. 1 1/2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks. 2-3 fresh garlic cloves, diced 1 pkg. firm organic tofu (a la Trader Joes), cut in half and pressed 2 more fresh garlic cloves kosher salt peanut oil (or your favorite oil) sherry or other flavorful cooking wine Directions Rinse your rice until the water is no longer cloudy. Shake off the water and then put your rice in your rice cooker. Pour half of a can of coconut milk into the rice cooker and add water until the liquid reaches the two cup mark. (Or, just substitute coconut milk for half the water in your favorite rice recipe.) Make your sauce by combining ingredients from water to red pepper flakes into a blender. Blend. Then heat on the stove in a saucepan until the sauce begins to boil. Lower heat and let simmer for five minutes, whisking occasionally. Add cornstarch slurry and let sauce thicken, take off heat and reserve. I like two styles of tofu in my dishes for texture variety. (Optional- pick one style if you prefer.) Take one slab of tofu and slice it thinly into strips. Cut the remaining slab of tofu into cubes. Heat 1 cup or so of peanut (or canola, etc. oil with a high smoke point) over a high heat in your wok , toss in some kosher salt (if desired) and fry half of the tofu strips. Turn over when the tofu looks golden brown on one side. When fried golden on both sides, put on a rack so any extra oil can drip off. For your tofu cubes, clean your wok and pour a little (1 tbsp. or less) fresh peanut oil in the pan. Let it heat until almost at smoking point, add a whole garlic clove, let it brown and then remove from pan. Add a little salt to taste, and throw in your tofu cubes. Add your diced garlic and toss. When tofu cubes are browned on all sides (turn frequently), remove and reserve. Add a tiny bit more oil, season it with the remaining garlic clove, remove the clove, and throw in your onion strips. You may need to do one half recipe at a time. When onion looks slightly softened, throw in your diced mushroom STEM. Toss frequently. When onion looks done and browned on the edges, remove and reserve. Throw in your portobello mushroom slices and saute. When they start to soften but the pan seems dry, throw in a little sherry (tablespoons, not cup measurements). Add your carrot matchsticks and stir fry for a minute or so. Throw in the rest of your reserved ingredients, mix, and then begin to drizzle your sauce on the stir fry, mixing sauce thoroughly into the dish. Notes You will have leftover stir fry, so you can double the rice if you prefer.

Rating:  9 Original Source:  modified sauce based on Peanut Butter Planet Recipe, the rest is entirely original. Do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1163 Added:  November 26, 2007 Last Modified:  November 27, 2007

I think the first time I ever had summer rolls with peanut sauce was at this little vegetarian cafe in Boulder, Colorado called “The Creative Vegetarian Cafe.” That place was responsible for introducing me to many new foods, including breakfast dosas, tempeh that actually tasted good, and last but not least, the summer roll. The combination of crisp, fresh vegetables in a soft rice wrapper and creamy rich peanut sauce was swoon-worthy; and being me once I tried it and figured out how good it was, I wanted to have it all the time. The only problem was, one just wasn’t enough. I could find them as snacks in the local health food store, but they were quite expensive- being almost $4 for one little roll. And, often the peanut sauce had wheat based soy sauce in it, making my favorite part of the whole experience off limits. So, I decided I needed to learn to make my own.

I was a little confused by the name, though. Some restaurants seemed to call them fresh spring rolls, and other called them summer rolls. But which were they? The consensus seems to be that spring rolls originated in China, and are always fried, while summer rolls developed in Vietnam or Thailand and are generally served fresh. After some time consulting vegetarian and vietnamese or Thai cookbooks, I figured out how to make my own. Happily, once you have the ingredients prepped, it doesn’t take that much time to make a batch. They keep reasonably well for a day or so, although with the right fillings they could last longer. And they are extremely portable- although packing the sauce takes a little planning.

Fillings can really vary depending on your individual preference, but my standard includes rice noodles, crisp lettuce, carrot, mint, and some kind of sauteed tofu. But honestly, it’s all about the sauce, isn’t it? “Summer rolls are normally dipped in either a simple sauce consisting of hoisin sauce, garlic, peanut butter, and water which are boiled until well blended or a combination of fish sauce, garlic, sugar, lime, and carrot.” (source: Wikipedia) Personally I like to make a peanut sauce, but if I have extra time, a sweet chili sauce or prepared plum sauce goes nicely as well.

Here’s how I generally make my summer rolls…

I season pressed, sliced tofu sticks to taste. Usually I baste Chili garlic sauce on the tofu, but tonight I mixed wheat free teriyaki sauce by Edwards and Sons with my Chili Garlic Sauce. Then I sautee the tofu slices in a little oil in a frypan, adding salt or other seasonings if desired. You could substitute seafood or chicken if that is more to your taste.
I prepare all of my vegetables, cutting cucumbers, carrots, and green onions into matchsticks. (You can add anything though- I often add avocado slices, and today I used yellow pepper that I needed to use up from the farmer’s market.) Then I rinse and dry any greens, such as lettuce and fresh herbs (mint is mandatory for me, but you can use cilantro, fresh basil- or anything that inspires you). I also prepare Thai rice noodles by adding them to boiling water and turning off the heat. I think it takes about 3 minutes, but let them soften until no longer crunchy. Then I rinse them under cold water and let them drain. I lay all my filling ingredients out on plates for easy access, and prepare a wide bowl/ plate for softening the rice wrappers. I heat some hot water in a teapot and keep it close. Then I briefly soak each rice paper wrapper in the hot water, put them on a nice flat surface (some recipes suggest a damp towel, but either way is fine), pile the ingredients neatly at the bottom of the round rice sheet, roll it over once, tucking the veggies in, fold the sides like a burrito, creating an envelope, and finish rolling the package to make a little cylinder. I then place the prepared summer rolls carefully on a flat surface to dry NOT touching each other if possible (or they could stick together). They should dry and seal themselves shut. You then have beautiful little packages of flavor and freshness, that you can take just about anywhere.

You could put anything in them of course- at a yuppie deli in Chiba-shi, Japan they had ones with potato salad inside, prawns, smoked salmon and cream
cheese… even bits of beef or chicken! Of course you have to change the sauce to suit the filling, but that’s all part of the fun, isn’t it?

If you’d like to see someone making one of these, and some professional tips for making them as a carry along snack, watch this:
An excellent instructional video showing how to make summer rolls

I like any sauce, but my personal favorite has to be the sauce below; it is the product of many comparison tests. It’s an interesting recipe because it doesn’t use high calorie, high fat coconut milk like many recipes do, but yet it still manages to be delightfully creamy and decadent. It’s all about caramelizing the onions… If you’re going to make spring rolls, you gotta make a sauce to go with them. And if peanuts aren’t your thing- sweet chili sauce is the next best thing. Enjoy… And remember, if you have sauce left over- you can use it in a killer Thai salad with rice noodles and veggies! I know it’s not summer yet… But any time of year is a good time to enjoy a crisp, delightful summer roll.

Thai Peanut Sauce Sauces & Condiments  Thai

Ingredients 1 sliced small onion 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon sugar 2 cloves crushed garlic 3/4 cup NATURAL peanut butter or 1 cup dry roasted salted peanuts 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons lime juice Directions Saute onion and garlic in oil til tender. Cool. Place in blender, add everything else, and blend carefully. Slowly and carefully add enough boiling water to form a thick paste. (I like it about the texture of slightly thinned peanut butter.)

Rating:  9 Original Source:   Recipe ID:  1029 Added:  March 3, 2007 Last Modified:  March 3, 2007