Tofu Patties with Savory Mushroom Gravy and Mashed Potatoes

This one is a shout out to Mom for sure!  Growing up, meals in my house were mainly vegetarian because of Dad.  Some had cravings for chicken tenders, lasagna, or Mom's beef stew:  I had cravings for this dish. For those of you tofu-haters out there, give this recipe a try, you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised.  I will note, however, that the frying of the patties is not that healthy, but does make them oh-so-deliciously-crunchy!

I definitely used Mom's scanned recipe for this one, but of course with a few modifications.  I pan fried them to get the crunch factor, and I used sesame seeds, wheat germ, and cornmeal in the coating.  My tofu was previously frozen because I tend to buy it in bulk (extra-firm of course) and keep it in the freezer for a last minute protein-packed meal.  Also, when you freeze tofu, all of the water in it makes the little cellular pockets in the tofu expand as the water trapped inside freezes.  Then, when you defrost the tofu, you can squeeze out all of the excess water the tofu is really substantial and quite literally like a sponge.  This give the tofu a definitive texture and allows it to absorb more of the marinate and flavor you introduce it to, which makes it more enjoyable to eat than the regular old squishy stuff.  As such, I had to us more whole wheat flour in my mix because of the wetness of the patty mixture.  Just like you would make any patty, you add flour until the mix holds together.

My mom said that using mushroom bouillon is not necessary, but I did it anyway because I like to try and make things how Mom says to, you know?  I used Better than Bouillon brand mushroom bouillon, but apparently this can also be found in the Kosher aisle of the grocery store as a 3-pack of cubes made by Telma.  I also used about 3 C of sliced mushrooms and doubled the liquid: (1) because mushroom gravy is delicious, (2) because mushrooms shrink a lot, (3) because I like a lot of mushrooms in my gravy.

Of course, the key is to serve with a nice portion of homemade freshly mashed potatoes.  This was essentially my childhood version of "meat"loaf, and I still crave it today!  I hope it makes a tofu-appreciator out of you too!

Latin Rubbed Grilled Pork Loin Pesto Flatbread

What do you do with leftover grilled pork loin?

Make grilled flatbread, of course!

Step 1:  Roll out the dough.  I was lazy and bought pizza dough from the store, pre-made.  What?!  Yes.  For $0.99, which is less than the cost of the 5-6 cups of flour you'd need these days, you can save yourself the hassle and rising time.  Oh, and it stores well in the freezer for that last minute, "How do I best re-purpose these leftovers?" kind of dinner!

Step 2:  Brush dough with EVOO and grill on very high heat, about 3-4 min per side to get nice grill lines.  Dough will bake in oven later, so it's okay for it to be a bit soft in the middle still.

Step 3:  Spread grilled flatbread with any sauce or moisture base you want.  I used a cilantro pesto I made fresh from my herb garden because the rub on the pork loin had a cayenne, cocoa powder, chili, cumin base of flavor.

Step 4:  Top with anything else you want.  Here, I used caramelized onions, mushrooms, and a bit of Havarti cheese.

Step 5:  Garnish with fresh herbs: cilantro.

Cranberry Orange Scones

Who doesn't love the taste of a buttery, flaky scone with their morning coffee?  This is actually a recipe I follow, but what I love most about it is that the recipe is very forgiving:  you don't have to measure things perfectly, and it still turns out great!

ISO 400 f/1.8 1/125

Cranberry-Orange* Scones

2/3 C Buttermilk or plain yogurt                       
8 TBS. cold unsalted butter, cut up

1 lg. egg                                                           
1 C. cranberries, raisins, or whatever you like in the scones

zest of one orange (about 1-2 tsp; *optional)
3 C all purpose flour
½ C sugar
4 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 TBS. butter, at room temperature

Large sugar crystals for the top

Heat oven to 375 degree.  Measure buttermilk in a 2 cup glass measure; beat in egg with a fork.  Put flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.  Stir to mix well.  Add the 8 Tbs. butter and cut in with a pastry blender or rub with your fingers, until the mixture looks like fine granules.  Add the cranberries, orange zest (if desired) and sugar and toss lightly to distribute evenly.  Add the buttermilk mixture.  Stir with a fork until a soft dough forms.  (DO NOT OVERMIX)  Turn out onto a lightly floured board and give 5-6 kneads, just until well mixed.  Form into a ball; cut into 8 wedges.  Form each wedge into a ball and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Sprinkle tops of each scone with large sugar crystals if desired.  Bake 20-25 minutes, or until medium brown.  Remove to a wire rack.  Brush with the 1 TBS. of soft butter.  Let cool, uncovered, at least 1 hour before serving.