Tofu and Kimchi Dinner for One - Recipe

Tofu, kimchi and lots of garnish - dinner for one in no time flat

You could be eating this in less than ten minutes and using only one pot. We had one of those nights where the kids just needed to go to bed early (know how that goes?) and I ended up making this just for myself. It took me right back to my bachelor days, when I took a lot of pleasure in making a tasty dinner for one. Much of the joy in cooking is social, but when you are the only guest, you can take advantage of cooking exactly to your own taste.

[Quick aside: see that lovely new ad for ChefShop.com over in my sidebar? That is there because Tim Mar and his crew source some of the most amazing ingredients I've ever tried. Surf their site, you'll love it. And you'll be supporting Herbivoracious!]

Oddly enough, I didn't even make rice for this meal. I just ate a lot of tofu. So sue me. But you probably might like some rice.

I wouldn't dream of making this in anything other than my cast iron skillet.

Of course if you do have company for dinner, you can easily multiply this recipe as needed. It could also be embellished with sauteed shiitakes, finely shredded nori, a fried egg, or a handful of sugar snap peas.

Tasty vegetarian kimchi can be a little hard to find. You have to look closely at the ingredients to see if there is shrimp paste etc. in it. One brand I like is Dae Han Tofu Company, or if you are in Seattle, keep your eye out for the non-traditional but delicious Firefly Kitchens booth at the Farmer's Markets. Good stuff.

Tofu and Kimchi Dinner for One
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free
Serves 1

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/3 pound extra-firm tofu, patted dry and cut into 1/2" dice
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• salt
• toasted sesame oil
• 2 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
• toasted sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup vegetarian kimchi
• 1 tablespoon ssamjang or 1 teaspon kochujang, or 1 teaspoon sriracha

1. Heat a large cast iron skillet over a very high flame. Add the oil, and 5 seconds later, the tofu and a great big pinch of salt. Fry, tossing occasionally until golden brown. Add the onion and grated ginger and fry for 30 more seconds.
2. Mound the tofu into a bowl. Drizzle on a little sesame oil, and garnish heavily with the green onions and sesame seeds. Add a nice pile of kimchi and the hot sauce of your choice. I really love ssamjang because it is only moderately spicy, with a lot of flavor complexity, so you can use quite a bit of it.

Peppery Red Wine Capellini - Cooked By The Absorption Method - Recipe

Peppery pasta cooked by the absorption method

Cooking pasta by the absorption method instead of boiling in a gallon of salted water may seem fearful to those of us that grew up with noodle orthodoxy, but it actually works great and can be a big time saver. You don't have to wait for water to boil, and you don't necessarily have two pots to clean at the end, if you design your sauce and condiment to be built in with the pasta.

For this recipe, I toast the capellini in the oven first. This is characteristic of how they are handled in Spain, Mexico (where they are called fideos) and the Middle East. I enjoy the additional browned flavors. You can do this while prepping and sauteeing your vegetables.

The flavor of this dish is quite assertive, with substantial quantities of red wine, black pepper, smoked paprika and garlic. It isn't one I would necessarily recommend for young children or those who prefer milder tastes.

Because we are cooking tomatoes and zucchini along with the noodles, I'm calling for less initial liquid than you will see in most absorption cooked pasta recipes. Instead, we'll have you check along the way and add more as needed. Also note that we reserve some of the tomatoes for garnish. I love to include an ingredient both fresh and raw in the same dish so we get to experience the full range of its flavors.

Peppery Red Wine Capellini
Vegetarian and vegan
Serves 4 as a main course

• 1 pound capellini (angel hair) noodles
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 large white onion, thinly sliced
  
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 pounds zucchini, 1/2" dice
• 1 small bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2" lengths
• 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes, halved, divided
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika (pimenton de la vera)
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• salt
• 1 1/4 cups red wine (I used a tempranillo)
• lots of minced fresh parsley for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Break the capellini into approximately 3" lengths. Toast on a baking sheet tossing occasionally with tongs, for about 12 minutes, until golden brown.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot with a lid (at least 5.5 quarts), heat the olive oil over a medium flame. Cook the onion and garlic with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes, allowing them only to soften and grow aromatic, but not burn. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the zucchini and another pinch of salt. Saute, browning until the noodles have come out of the oven.
3. Add the noodles on top of the zucchini mixture. Put the asparagus, two-thirds of the cherry tomatoes on top of that and sprinkle in the smoked paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano and rosemary. Pour the red wine and 1 1/4 cups of water over the top. Toss as best you can with tongs, but it will be hard at first because the noodles are stiff. Return the heat to medium and cover.
4. Every 3 minutes, remove the top and toss. The total cooking time will probably be about 8-12 minutes. Towards the end, taste a noodle each time you remove the top to see if it is done. If not, and there isn't any moisture left on the bottom, add a bit more wine or water (maybe 1/3 cup).
5. When the noodles are done to your liking, make any final adjustments to the seasoning and transfer to serving bowls. Garnish with the remaining uncooked cherry tomatoes and parsley, and another grind of fresh black pepper.

Mandu - Korean-Style Potstickers with Ssamjang / Kochujang Sauce - Recipe

Vegetarian Mandu (Korean potstickers)

I never grow tired of potstickers, but I thought it might be time to branch out from my standard recipe. Hsiao-Ching had told me about about a sauce from the Momofuku cookbook involving kochujang, ssamjang (two standard Korean kitchen staples), oil, and sherry vinegar. So that put me onto the idea of Korean-style potstickers, and sure enough, there are many kinds.

The generic name for Korean dumplings is mandu (sometimes spelled mandoo); when they are panfried, they become gunmandu. And apparently vegetarian dumplings would be somandu. [Any Korean speakers out there want to comment on exactly the right name for today's recipe?]

The filling I used is a combination of tofu, tempeh, blanched bean sprouts, green onion, and egg, seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil. This is the first time I've used egg in a filling and I really enjoyed the results. it binds the whole interior into a slightly fluffy but firm bite. Tempeh is not a traditional Korean ingredient but I find it adds a great toothsome quality to vegetarian dumplings.

To form the dumplings I used this cheap, simple little dumpling press for the first time. Life changing event. In the past, I've always had trouble getting those pretty little pleats and a perfect seal. Now it is child's play. Literally - my kiddo made a bunch of them and they turned out perfect. Hsiao-Ching said that I need a dumpling lesson, and rightly so. It would be much more satisfying to learn the traditional skill. But in the meantime, I'm pretty psyched about the press!

You'll need either a Korean grocery or a well stocked general Asian grocery (such as Uwajimaya in the Seattle or Bay Area) to find kochujang and ssamjang. They are delicious and well worth searching out. Since I've picked them up, I use them in everything. I also used black vinegar instead of sherry vinegar in the sauce, so you might want to get that as well. It has a slight five-spice flavor that I love.

Mandu - Korean-Style Potstickers with Ssamjang / Kochujang Sauce
Makes about 40 dumplings (which in my family serves 4-5, but we are greedy)
Vegetarian

For the sauce:

• 1/4 cup kochujang
• 1/3 cup ssamjang
• 1/3 cup black vinegar

1. Whisk together all ingredients. Add water as needed to reach a dipping sauce consistency. Taste and add more vinegar if desired.

For the mandu (potstickers):

• 1 cup mung bean sprouts
• 1 cup extra firm tofu
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, divided
• 8 ounce tempeh
• 4 green onions, white and light green parts, sliced thin
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup tamari (soy sauce)
• 4 teaspoons Asian (toasted) sesame oil
• 2 egg, beaten
• 1 package (around 40) potsticker wrappers - I prefer the kind labeled "thick"

1. Blanch the mung bean sprouts in a small pot of boiling, salted water for 1 minute. Drain, chop roughly, and squeeze out as much moisture as possible using a clean kitchen towel. Crumble the tofu and squeeze the water out of it as well.
2. Slice the tempeh into thin slabs and pan fry in 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil until golden brown on both sides. Crumble.
3. Thoroughly combine the bean sprouts, tofu, tempeh, green onions, garlic, tamari and sesame oil. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Then mix in the beaten eggs.
4. To form the dumplings, take a wrapper and put about 2 teaspoons of filling in the center. Moisten the edge, fold, and seal firmly. Optionally, you can pinch to form pleats. Or use the dumpling press I mentioned above. Do not overfill, it will make it impossible to get a tight seal.
5. To fry the dumplings, heat a large skillet over a medium high flame. Add 2 tablepoons of oil, then put in about 1/3 of the dumplings, pleats pointing up. Press down a little to create a flat spot. Be sure the dumplings aren't touching. Fry for about 60-90 seconds until golden brown on the bottom. Carefully add in about 3 tablespoons of water, lower the heat, and put on the lid. Cook about 3 minutes. Remove the lid, cook off any excess water, and then remove the dumplings with a spatula. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.
6. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce on the side.