Tofu Curry with Basmati

I absolutely love to make Indian-inspired dishes, and this meal comes together pretty fast, though you really should take the time to marinate the tofu first (you won't regret it, seriously). I don't know how authentic this is, but damn is it good. . .

For the tofu: Cut 16 oz of firm (or extra firm) tofu into small cubes. Spread them over paper towels in a single layer, place more paper towels on top and put a cookie sheet on top to weigh it down. Let the tofu sit for 15-20 minutes like this. Meanwhile, mix 1/3 cup light soy sauce, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tbsp sesame oil, and 1/4 cup water. When the tofu is done draining, toss in the marinade and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (you could even do this overnight).

Other Ingredients:

• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 tbsp curry paste (red or green, but I like red)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 to 4 cups shredded napa cabbage
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 medium bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
• tofu from previous step
• cooked basmati or jasmine rice

Start by whisking the coconut milk, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and curry paste in a bowl. Set aside to let the flavors meld (this can be mixed ahead of time). Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is heated, add the tofu. Keep it in a single layer, but to get a nice, crisp brown color, let it sit 3 minutes or so before stirring it around to brown the other sides. It takes about 10 minutes for the tofu to brown all the way. Remove it from the pan onto a paper towel or just a plate. Add the green onion and bell pepper and cook the pepper is soft but still crisp. Add the shredded cabbage and cook 2 more minutes or so (it should be nicely wilted). Then add the coconut-curry sauce plus the tofu back into the skillet. Stir around to heat everything up, about 2 minutes. Serve over the cooked rice and enjoy!

Incredible Fudge Brownies

I'm a big fan of rich chocolate fudgey brownies as opposed to cakey ones. I adapted this one (surprisingly) from a Weight Watchers recipe, but I added espresso powder, more chocolate, and walnuts. The result is probably no longer WW-worthy, but if you're going to eat a brownie, it might as well taste good, right? That's my philosophy.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 rounded tsp instant espresso powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg + 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp water
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 oz semisweet chocolate pieces (I recommend Baker's semisweet chocolate chunks)
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 tsp vanilla

Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, espresso. Add walnuts to coat in flour mixture. In another bowl, whisk egg + egg white and beat in sugar, vanilla, and water. Melt chocolate and butter together (a microwave is fine) and let cool slightly before adding to the egg mixture. Mix the chocolate into the flour mixture and stir until all combined. Spread in pan and bake 19 to 21 minutes. Let cool before cutting into these (if you can wait that long!).

Chipotle Chicken over Pan-fried Polenta

I'm quite proud of this recipe since it really is my own creation. Quite honestly, I needed a Latin/spicy chicken dish to go with this corn and bean salad that I had made for dinner. So I picked some Mexican spices that I know go well together and took it from there. My first choice would have been to serve the chicken over rice (like the rice that Chipotle puts on their burritos) but there was none in the pantry! I found a tube of polenta in the refrigerator and I thought, "I could make this work. . . "

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of chicken breast or chicken breast tenderloins
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 and 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground chipotle pepper (you could substitute chili powder, but you won't get the same smoky flavor that is SO wonderful)
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp vegetable or canola oil, plus 2 tbsp for when you pan fry the polenta
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 14 oz can of tomato sauce
• one 16 oz tube of polenta

If the chicken is in very large pieces, then cut the breast in half so they cook a little faster. Mix all of the spices together in a small bowl. Start by heating 2 tsp of oil in a medium or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Spread the chicken in a single layer and then sprinkle them with the spice mixture (all of it). Cook the chicken all the way through, stirring to get a nice golden brown on all sides and to cover each piece with the spices. You can put the lid on to speed up the cooking process if necessary. Once it is cooked through, drizzle it with the lime juice, then remove the chicken from the pan and let rest for 5 minutes. Turn the stove off momentarily. With your fingers or two forks, shred the chicken and put it back in the saucepan. Add the tomato sauce and stir to coat the chicken. At this point I highly recommend adding more cumin, chipotle and ground coriander (about 1/4 tsp each). But as always, season it to your liking. Let the chicken come to a simmer and keep it on low heat for at least 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the polenta into thin rounds (about 1/4 inch thick) and let them sit on a paper towel to drain off the excess moisture. Heat the 2 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over high heat. Be patient and let your pan get hot enough. If the oil isn't hot enough when you add the polenta then it won't brown as well. Add the polenta to the hot pan in a single layer and let cook for 2 or 3 minutes per side (it should be a nice golden brown before you turn it).

Serve the chicken over a few polenta rounds. It is delicious as it is, but feel free to dollop sour cream or sprinkle some cheese on top for good measure ;-)