Meals

Here are a number of recipes/photos for meals we've had in the last few weeks.

Basic Broiled Tofu from Veganomicon. This turned out pretty well, although I think the lemon juice made it taste a bit too sour.
1 pound extra-firm tofu
1/4 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T lemon juice
2 T soy sauce

Cut the tofu into sixteen slices - slice through the block both width and lengthwise.
Mix all ingredients other than tofu.
Dip each piece of tofu in the liquid and then place on a broiler-safe pan. Broil for 10 minutes. Brush with liquid. Broil 3 more minutes. Repeat this step twice. Remove tofu from oven. It should be golden brown.

Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake from www.101cookbooks.com
2 cups zucchini, unpeeled & grated
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
zest of one lemon
2 large eggs, well beaten
1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled
drizzle of olive oil

Preheat oven to 325F degrees, racks the middle. Butter/oil a 7-inch springform pan. (I used a 9 inch cake pan and slightly decreased the cooking time.
In a strainer, toss the shredded zucchini with the salt and let sit for ten minutes. Now aggressively squeeze and press out as much moisture as you can. Set aside.
In the meantime, combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, shallots, garlic, dill and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Stir in the eggs and continue mixing until well combined. Now stir in the shredded zucchini. Fill the springform pan with the ricotta mixture and place on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for sixty minutes. If there is any moisture left on top of the cake at this point, carefully use a bit of paper towel to dab it off. Now sprinkle with the goat cheese and return to the oven for another 20 -30 minutes or until the goat cheese is melted and the cake barely jiggles in the center (it will set up more as it cools).
At this point, if the cake is baked and set, but the top isn't quite golden, I'll zap it with the broiler (just about a minute) to get a bit more color on top. Remove from the oven and let cool five minutes, then release the cake from its pan. Cool completely, serve at room temperature drizzled with a bit of olive oil and a few sprigs of dill.

Panzanella (Bread and Tomato Salad) from www.recipezaar.com

SERVES 4
1/2 red onion, diced
8 ounces sourdough bread or ciabatta (toasted or day old)
4 medium tomatoes, ripe, chopped
4 ounces low fat mozzarella, cubed (I used white cheddar)
12 kalamata olives, pitted and halved (I omitted)
1/4 cup basil, shredded
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground

Put diced red onion in a small bowl and cover with water. (This removes some of the oniony taste.) The longer you soak it the milder it will become.If bread is not day old, slice and place on cookie sheet in preheated 400 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, prepare and place all ingredients other than the bread and onion in a large bowl and mix. Tear bread into bite size pieces, drain onions and add to tomato mix. Combine well. Adjust the seasonings to taste and serve.

Red Curry Chicken and Eggplant (Aubergine) from www.recipezaar.com

1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk or
3 tablespoons red curry paste (I only used 2T)
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thigh, cubed
2-3 Japanese eggplants or Japanese eggplants, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 tablespoons fish sauce
4 kaffir lime leaves, torn into pieces or juice of 1/2 lime (I used 1-2 T lime juice)
2 fresh red chilies, cut into very thin strips (I omitted)
1/2 cup Thai basil or sweet basil, chopped

Heat a heavy saute pan over medium high heat.
Add 1/4 can of the thicker coconut milk. When it bubbles, add curry paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add additional 1/4 can of the thicker coconut milk and cook for 5- 8 minutes, until the oil begins to separate.
Add chicken and stir to coat well. Cook for about 4 minutes until the chicken has changed color and firmed up. Add remaining coconut milk, bring to a boil, add eggplant and cook at a simmer, covered until chicken and eggplant are completely cooked. Stir in fish sauce and lime leaves. Cook at a low simmer for 5 minutes.Just before serving, stir in chiles and basil.