Time Off

What could it be?

     You might have noticed I took time off again. It tends to happen when I go home, something about my need to cook and in general have any responsibilities or obligations shutting off. They are on again - or maybe halfway on since I'm on the bus to Philly, and I don't really have to cook, just blog.

     Also, because I have a ton of recipe catching up to do. I went a little crazy last week, actually cooking every day again, because I was just so happy to have vegetables and cook fresh food. I'm going to have to grocery shop soon because I refuse to go through the kind of drought I had after spring break again. I may have a midterm next Monday, but I will grocery shop this week. Eating out just doesn't cut it.

     So, what first to share with you? It's a good thing that pictures get downloaded off cameras in chronological order, because now I can just share what I made longest ago with you today. That sentence got convoluted, but I'm sure you know what I mean. What did I make longest ago? Let's check the Pictures Folder. Oh right. Tofu. It was tofu week last week, and you are going to be hearing about tofu in many different incarnations. I'm excited, and if you are not excited than just be glad that even I cannot eat tofu for every meal so there are some non-tofuy things coming up as well.

So healthy!

     The tofu recipe of the day is mindnumbingly simple. It involves mixing a lot of things while cooking them in a frying pan, and then eating them super fast with a tortilla or roti or some rice because you don't have time or are famished after a long day. This is the kind of meal that is: super quick, super yummy, super super. Super. I'm happy today? Just looking forward to getting off this bus I guess.

     This is tofu done the Indian way. Its like mock scrambled eggs: Fry up some onions, spices, and tomato paste, dump in finely chopped tofu (instead of the eggs), whatever veggies you may have, mix everything together until it is cooked, and eat. It is flavorful. It is satisfying. I was so hungry I ate it right out of the pan and my tongue was burned for days - sometimes, you should not follow my example. Except when you have tofu and are out of fancy ways to cook it. Then you should make this, and be glad.

Tofu Scramble 

1/2 tbsp Vegetable Oil 
1/2 mid-sized Yellow Onion, Chopped as small as you like eating onions 

1/2 tsp Turmeric 

1 tsp Garam Masala 

1 tsp Coriander 
1/2 tbsp Tomato Paste
1/3 block Tofu, Sliced and then chopped into very small pieces 
Dash of Salt

Heat the oil in a frying pan at medium heat. Add the turmeric, garam masala, and coriander, stirring and frying for a minute. Then, add the onions and fry until they are translucent. Mix in the tomato paste and fry it for a minute, then dump in the tofu and the dash of salt. Stir everything together thoroughly until it is well combined (the tofu will become rather yellow from the turmeric). Cook at medium heat for about four minutes, stirring all the while, and you are ready!

Note: You may have noticed I also added three mushrooms (sliced) and maybe a half a handful of kale I had left to my scramble. I added them in at the same time as the tofu, and just left everything in the pan for a little longer to make sure each veggie was cooked properly. Feel free to do the same if you have mushrooms, spinach, kale, fresh tomatoes, etc. You will feel extra healthy.

A Quick Fix

     

     Sometimes, you do not have the time. It is not a Saturday to leisurely watch Challah dough rise. It is not a Wednesday night without work to bake cookies. No, it is a Sunday. The Sunday before the first chemistry exam of the semester no less. And on such a Sunday, there is no time. So, breakfast and lunch got by on Challah bread and Veggie Curry respectively. They were delicious and comforting to the less-than-happy Chemistry studier. But, now its dinner time. What's a dinner I can make in ridiculously little time and yet still feel happy blogging about? It was an easy question to answer: Soy Sauce Chicken.

     This is not my recipe. It comes to me from my friend SZ who got it from her mom. Arriving at SZ's apartment in NYC late one night after the two hour bus-ride from Philly, I was starving. She put this dish together in no time flat, and it was amazing. Filling, warming, healthy, and with all the necessary ingredients for a good meal: chicken, veggies, Flavor. I have been wanting to replicate it ever since I got home. 

     Of course, I'm probably going to be committing blasphemy when I put this dish together. Unlike SZ, I do not have fresh ginger root on hand. I also don't remember the exact proportions, or even ingredients she used. I do remember: 1 part soy sauce to 2 parts water (and I didn't even stick with that...) But that was as good a starting point as any. I hope she and her mom forgive my changes, they are done with an eye to what is in my fridge and pantry, not because I didn't love the original. Now, to wing it!

     I started with the basics: soy sauce, water, ginger, garlic, onions, and the piece of chicken. Then, I realized I had a lot of soy sauce and water, and a very small piece of chicken. I was already bemoaning the lack of mushrooms, which SZ had put in the dish, to soak up some liquids. Then I remembered! Udon noodles in the fridge. And, that is how my dinner came to be. It was filling, the chicken was moist and delicious, and the udon noodles had soaked up the gingery-soy saucy flavor. I did miss those mushrooms though, add them if you make this dish! They take it above and beyond. Still, I now feel full and prepared to tackle thermodynamics in all its varied forms.

Soy Sauce Chicken

Serves 1 (To multiply simply add more chicken thighs and the other ingredients in proportion to how much chicken you have. If you are not using an entire packet of udon, you could probably fit another chicken thigh in the amount of liquid I have given and be absolutely fine; I had a lot of sauce left over after my dinner.)  

1 Chicken Thigh

1/4 cup Soy Sauce 

3/4 cup Water 
1 tbsp Sugar 
1/2 tsp Lemon Juice

1/2 Onion, Finely Chopped

1/4 tsp Ginger Powder

1 clove Garlic, Minced    

1/2 cup Baby Spinach 

1 packet Udon Noodles (optional) 
1 cup Mushrooms, sliced (optional; recommended) 

In a small saucepan set to medium heat, add and mix the the soy sauce, water, sugar, lemon juice, onion, ginger powder, and garlic. Trim the excess fat off of the chicken thigh, and place it in the mixture. (You do not have to cut the thigh into pieces.) Simmer the mixture and chicken for fifteen minutes, turning the chicken once in a while if it is not fully covered in liquid. Then, add the udon noodles and/or mushrooms (if using). Stir in, and simmer mixture for another fifteen minutes. Serve!