Spicy Tofu with Smoky Black Bean Dip

I love this recipe. It is simple enough for a cocktail party appetizer or a weeknight dinner. Lots of people don't really understand how to cook tofu in way that makes you forget that it is not meat. I'm not a vegetarian but I do love me some tofu. If you're not too sure about it, try this recipe because it's a easy way to test tofu before you feel like you have to stop shaving your legs, sport some dreadlocks, and totally embrace the hippie lifestyle.

Spicy Tofu with Smoky Black Bean Dip

*Adapted from Skewer It!

Ingredients:

Marinade

- 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1/2 minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce

- 1 tablespoon minced garlic

- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Dip

- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained (liquid reserved)

- 1 tablespoon ketchup

- 1 teaspoon ground cumin

-1 teaspoon ground corriander

- 1/2 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce

- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

- kosher salt to taste

-1 14-oz package of firm tofu

1. Combine olive oil, chile, garlic, and salt together in a small bowl.

2. Slice tofu into 3/4" blocks. Add to bowl and toss gently to coat with marinate. Let sit for 15 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil.

4. Combine beans, 1/2 cup of reserved bean broth, ketchup, cumin, coriander, chile, garlic, and lemon juice in food processor. Process until well incorporated but not completely smooth, about 5 seconds. Season with salt, if necessary. Set aside.

5. Place marinated tofu on baking pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Idea: Place cilantro leaf on top of each tofu square and hold together with toothpick for an easy party appetizer

Monday Musings

Hello friends! In honor of the gorgeous weather today (sorry all of you East Coasters), I decided to write a happy post.

This month started off kind of rocky but has turned promising. My graduate school applications are all sent it, I'm kicking butt with my workouts, Valentines Day weekend was relaxing, and I'm headed to Seattle on Friday. WooWooh!  Oh and Lent starts tomorrow....I'm giving up candy (including chocolate) and fried foods.

Life is pretty good right now and I want to enjoy it. Life in San Francisco? Sure, why not. I want to explore even more which brings me to my story of the week....

After work on Friday, I headed over the hill to North Beach with Graham. We grabbed a beer at Rogue, right near Washington Square Bar and Grill (a SF landmark). Afterwards, we stopped by a newsstand to pick up a copy of the San Francisco Chronicle because we heard that we were in it! Graham's uncle is head of the SF Chronicle Wine Competition at Fort Mason every year. Our picture from last year made it into the paper, how exciting :) Anyways, I also picked up a copy of 7x7. I was drawn to it because of the epic picture of fried chicken and waffles on the cover but also because of the "2010 Big Eat SF 100 Things to Eat and Drink Before You Die" article.

I surprisingly have already eaten some of the things on the list but even with that, I haven't even begun to make a dent. I know not many of you live in San Francisco that read my blog BUT if you ever visit you now have a list of must eats. Perfect! Because really, we all know that the best way to visit a place is to eat and eat and eat your way through it.

The 2010 Big Eat SF 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die List

{picture from the 7x7 website}

1. Roast chicken and bread salad at Zuni

2. Coffee-rubbed pork shoulder at Range

3. Carnitas tacos at La Taqueria

4. Fried Chicken and waffles at Little Skillet

5. Chasu ramen at Katana-ya

6. Basil gimlet at Rye

7. Crab with cellophane noodles at The Slanted Door

8. Morning bun at Tartine Bakery

9. Tofu Soup with kimchi at My Tofu House

10. Nick's Baja-style fish tacos at The Taco Shop at Underdogs

11. Pork sugo with pappardelle at Delfina

12. Prochetta sandwich at RoliRoti

13. Soup dumplings at Shanghai Dumpling King

14. Beef Brisket Sandwich at Il Cane Rosso

15. Any seasonal flavor at Scream Sorbet

16. Katsu curry from Muracci's Japanese Curry & Grill

17. Samusa soup at Burma Superstar

18. Oysters on the half shell at Swan Oyster Depot

19. Lobster pot pie at Michael Mina

20. Salumi misti plate at Perbacco

21. Pizza margherita at Pizzeria Delfina

22. Vietnamese roasted pork sandwich at Saigon Sandwich

23. Beer Sausage with sauerkraut and grilled onions at Rosamunde Sausage Grill

24. Blue Bell Bitter from the cask at Magnolia Pub

25. Loaf of bread straight out of the oven at Tartine

26. A bottle of Burgundy at RN74

27. Papaya salad with salty crab at Sai Jai Thai

28. A Gibraltar at Blue Bottle Cafe

29. Tuna Tartare and a gin martini at Bix

30. Burger at Fish & Farm

31. Tuna tostada at Tacolicious

32. Pupusas at Balompie Cafe

33. Prime Rib at House of Prime Rib 

34. Way too much cold sake at Oyaji

35. Salted-caramel ice cream at Bi-Rite Creamery

36. Dry-fried Chicken Wings at San Tung

37. Rotisserie chicken at Limon Rotisserie

38. Burger and fries at the bar at Spruce

39. Pierna enchilada torta at La Torta Gorda

40. Cheeseburger with sweet potato fries at Taylor's Automatic Refresher

41. Pho ga at Turtle Tower

42. Fried-shrimp at Brenda's French Soul Food

43. An Old Fashioned at Alembic

44. One of Neyah White's shrubs at Nopa

45. Secret Breakfast at Humphry Slocombe

46. Chips and Salsa at Papalote

47. Ceviche and a pisco sour at La Mar Cebicheria Peruana

48. Angels on horseback at Anchor & Hope

49. Ginger snaps at Miette

50. An obscure Belgian beer at The Monk's Kettle

51. Maccaronara with ricotta salata at A16

52. Coconut buns at King's Bakery

53. Carnitas at Nopalito

54. Spiced-chocolate doughnut and a Four Barrel coffee at Dynamo Donut

55. Chicken porridge for breakfast at the Bush Street Out the Door

56. Nuevo Paloma at Beretta

57. Agnolotti at Quince

58. Chicarrons from 4505 Meats

59. Huarache with cactus salad at El Huarache Loco

60. The Little Star at Little Star Pizza

61. Egg custard tart at Golden Gate Bakery

62. Shrimp shumai at Ton Kiang

63. Meatballs with grapes at Aziza

64. Sand dabs at Tadich Grill

65. Cookies-and-cream cookie and milk at Anthony's Cookies

66. Pig parts at Incanto

67. Paper masala dosa at Dosa

68. The housemade hot dog at Absinthe

69. Foccacia at Liguria Bakery

70. Omakase menu at Sebo

71. Scotch egg at Wexler's

72. Shanghai Buck at Heaven's Dog

73. Popovers with strawberry butter at Rotunda

74. Corned-beef sandwich with Gruyere at The Sentinel

75. Fried green beans at Coco500

76. Chicken hash at Ella's

77. Eggs benedict on the back patio at Zazie

78. Burrito at El Farolito

79. Onion strings at Alfred's Steakhouse

80. Apple fritter at Bob's Donuts (<--my favorite!)

81. Chicken curry lunch special at Punjab Kabab House

82. Fried Chickpeas at Piqueo's

83. French fries at Universal Cafe

84. A margarita at Tommy's Mexican Restaurant

85. Pulled-pork sandwich at Roadside BBQ

86. A cheese slice at Arnelli Pizza

87. Sesame balls at Yank Sing

88. Buckwheat crepe and a French cider at Ti Couz

89. Lettuce cups at Betelnut

90. Korean taco at Namu's market stand

91. Albondigas soup at Mijita

92. Bacon-wrapped hot dog from a cart in the Mission

93. Seven courses of beef at Pagolac

94. The house cappuccino at Tosca Cafe

95. 3 a.m. bowl of caldo verde soup at Grubstake

96. Ube ice cream from Mitchell's

97. Lamb Schawerma at Truly Mediterranean

98. Bloody Mary with brunch at Foreign Cinema

99. Clam chowder at Hog Island Oyster Co.

100. Menage a Trois at Ike's Place

Wow! That took a long time to type! Ready, set, go!

Mini Cheesecakes

Oh my god, I must exercise self control right now. I just came home from work and checked how the mini cheesecakes were doing that I quickly whipped up last night. I only had a few bites before I put it back in the fridge so I wouldn't be tempted trade my workout in for the rest of it.

Confession: I have never made cheesecake. Ever. I've always been too scared that I'll burn the top or that it will fall apart. For that reason, I used a no bake recipe. I've never had a creamier cheesecake. Amazing. While you might judge me for not doing a "real" cheesecake, I think it was wise to do the no bake for my first time. It didn't scare me away and it definitely satisfied my sweet tooth.

I decided these were my Valentines' Day treats. I came up with the idea of cutting strawberries into hearts mainly because I love fresh fruit on my cheesecakes. My favorite of all time is from Junior's in NYC. When I was little, my dad used to bring it home when he was working in the city.

Mini Cheesecakes

*Adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- 1/3 cup butter, melted

- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

- 1 pint heavy whipping cream

- 2 teaspoons lemon juice

- 1/3 cup white sugar

- sprinkle of nutmeg

- strawberries

1. Combine graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in small bowl. Add melted butter and mix well. Press into bottom of 9 inch springform pan (I used mini pans). Chill until firm. (I wish I had added more crumbs to mine so don't be afraid to pack it in)

2. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and lemon juice together. Add whipping cream and beat until thick. 

3. Add sugar and continue to beat until stiff. 

4. Pour into pans on top of crust. 

5. Chill overnight (or several hours if you don't want to wait that long). 

6. Remove sides of the springform pan. 

7. Cut strawberries into hearts (or put on any topping you'd like) and place on top. Enjoy!

Side note: this is very high in calories and fat so be careful. I like using the mini pans because then I won't be tempted to keep going back for slice after slice.

 On that note, I better go hit up the gym.... :)

Superbowl Munchies

Superbowl parties are full of nothing but guilty pleasure foods. Chicken wings, chips, guacamole, and bean dip to name a few without even beginning to mention alcohol. I am watching the Superbowl as I right this, sitting on my couch in my sweatpants enjoying a super lazy sunday (get it? Superbowl....super lazy?).

Anyways, I wanted to make some football inspired food to celebrate the game. Instead of chicken wings (my boyfriend's favorite), I used chicken tenders. Also, I made mini rollups instead of enormous sandwiches. I've also got the alcohol covered. I opened a cooled Miller Chill, a low calorie refreshing beer.

Sweet Chili-Glazed Chicken Tenders

(adapted from Bon Appetit)

Ingredients:

- 2 pound chicken tenders

- 1/4 cup peanut oil

- 3 tablespoons soy sauce

- 2 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

- 2 tablespoons minced ginger

- 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

- 1 cup rice vinegar

- 3/4 cup sugar

- 1/2 cup water

- 1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce

1. Mix oil, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons garlic, ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Add chicken and coat. Let sit in refrigerator for 2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3. Using tongs, place chicken in baking dish or baking sheet. Bake until coked through and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, combine vinegar, sugar, water, chili-garlic sauce, 1/2 tablespoon garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil and then reduce to a simmer until the glaze turns to a syrupy consistency (about 20 minutes).

4. Pour over baked chicken and coat it all with the glaze.

(can eat alone or over rice)

Mini Turkey Rollups

Ingredients:

- low calorie wraps

- strawberry cream cheese (or any flavor you want)

- baby spinach

- sliced turkey

- tomato

1. Slice tomatoes very thin. 

2. Spread thin layer of cream cheese on wrap. 

3. Add layer of baby spinach on left side.

4. Add tomato.

5. Add turkey.

6. Roll left to right. Slice and enjoy.

Cupcake Obsession

It feels like I always want to bake cupcakes! Today was no different. I had the day off from work and decided to create some delicious lil' treats. I'll use the Lost Season 6 premiere as my excuse but really, no one really needs an excuse to bake cupcakes :) Oh and for those of you who read about how I'm trying to lose some weight, I only ate 1/2 of one and am giving the rest away, don't worry!

For the cupcake, I relied on Martha. The batter turned out super runny and freaked me out. However, the cupcakes came out of the oven moist and regular-looking so the crisis was averted. For the icing, I adapted Sprinkles' recipe for vanilla icing. I went to Spun Sugar last week and picked up some banana compound, which I used instead of vanilla extract in the recipe. Also, this was the first time I have ever filled cupcakes. I looked up a peanut butter icing recipe online and used my icing tip/bag to fill them. It actually is surprisingly fun.

Peanut Butter-filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Banana Frosting

Cupcakes

*from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

- 1 1/2 cups sugar

- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

- 3/4 teaspoon salt

- 2 large eggs

- 3/4 cup warm water

- 3/4 cup buttermilk

- 3 tablespoons safflower oil (I didn't have any so I used canola oil)

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with liners and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Mix together.

3. Add warm water and mix together until smooth.

4.  Scrape down the sides.

5. Divide batter into liners so each is about 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes.

6. Remove from tins and put on wire rack to cool. Cool completely.

Filling

*from All Recipes

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup butter, softened

- 1 cup creamy peanut butter

- 3 tablespoons milk

- 2 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Combine butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer until smooth.

2. Gradually mix in the sugar. When it starts to get thick, add milk one tablespoon at a time.

3. Place in icing bag with icing tip. Place tip into cooled cupcake and squeeze for 5 seconds. Repeat for the rest of the cupcakes.

Icing

*adapted from Sprinkles Cupcakes

Ingredients:

- 1 cup butter, softened

- 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

- 1 teaspoon milk

- 2 tablespoons banana compound flavor

- 1/8 teaspoon salt

1. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, and salt with electric mixer. Beat until well blended.

2. Add milk and banana compound. Beat until smooth and creamy.

(Optional: banana chip for decoration)