So I failed New Year’s, culinarily speaking. I had a grand Mediterranean plan for a small New Year’s eve gathering. Well, perhaps grand is not quite the right adjective. I was trying to stay sane and not go overboard, so perhaps “Modest Mediterranean” is a better description. This was the menu:
Tsatsiki
Babaganoush
Home-made whole wheat pita bread
Artichoke-stuffed mushrooms
Greek-spiced baked shrimp
Baked goat cheese with olives and tomatoes
Homemade sourdough bread
I made the first three items, none of which particularly excited me, the day before New Year’s eve. I tried a new pita bread recipe, and it was quite dense. I’ll have to find a happy medium between this recipe and the nice light one that makes my home spell like burnt cornmeal (no mystery there). I was quite sick on New Year’s Eve, so I didn’t get to the rest of the recipes, and stayed in bed trying to figure out how to drag myself into the kitchen to avoid disappointing myself and my guests, but I never made it. Nor did we have the planned amaretto margaritas or pomegranate-champagne cocktails I had planned on. But everyone seemed to have a great night nonetheless.
Tonight, however, I’m pretty sure I’m back on track! The other day I found baby shiitake mushrooms at the grocery store, and I just couldn’t resist. So I combined those with tofu and broccolini, and made a delicious Asian dinner. Here’s how I did it:
1 pkg. extra firm tofu
1 T. honey
3 T. ponzu
1 t. crushed red pepper
1/4 c. hoisin sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 c. chicken broth (substitute veggie broth to make this a vegan dish)
3 oz. baby shiitake mushrooms
1 t. sesame oil
2 t. chili oil
Drain moisture from tofu by resting entire block on paper towel for at least 20 minutes. While tofu is drying, combine all with next 7 ingredients (through mushrooms). Cut tofu into cubes (I make 1/2-inch cubes in order to maximize my marinade-to-tofu ratio). Marinate tofu and mushrooms in liquid mixture for at least 24 hours.
Cut broccolini into thirds, saute in wok in sesame oil. Remove to a bowl when cooked to your liking. Add chili oil to wok. When hot, add tofu and mushroom mix. Saute for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broccolini back in to reheat. Serve and enjoy – hope you like it spicy!