Tofu Lentils Taco

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This recipe is a variation of the spicy lentils taco recipe, which was delicious but suffered from poor execution. The lentils were slightly undercooked last time. I'm not blaming the recipe for my failure, but it's tough to cook lentils properly. So to avoid the pitfall, this recipe calls for a combination of cooked components. I added tofu and brown rice for more substance and texture. This recipe is also less spicy.

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1/2 an onion, diced small
• 1 celery stalk, diced small
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeds and ribs removed, diced small
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  
• 1 1/2 cups of cooked lentils
• 1 cup of cooked brown rice
• 1 block of unflavored bean curd (or firm tofu), drained and diced small
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
  
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
• 2 cups of vegetable stock
  
• 10 flour tortillas
• salt and pepper to taste
  
• guacamole (optional)
• salsa (optional)
• shredded cabbage (optional)
• grated Mexican cheese (optional)

One note about prep -- it's important to dice all the components to a size similar to the lentils. It will look pretty and provide a good texture.

Combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, cayenne pepper and flour. Set aside. Sweat celery, onion and jalapeno peppers in olive oil over medium-low heat until soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add vegetable stock, lentils, rice and tofu. Simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the flour and spices mix and soy sauce. Stir to combine.

Simmer over low heat until sauce thickens, about another 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Serve wrapped in tortillas and topped with salsa, guacamole, shredded cabbage and grated cheese.

This would also be good as filling for burritos on days that rice and beans are not enough. This taco is filling and has a good meaty taste. It tastes especially delicious when paired with all the different trimmings.

Lemon Champagne Sorbet

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I picked a large bag of lemons off my aunt's dwarf lemon tree. They are truly amazing -- sweet, juicy, and fragrant. I feel obligated to make something awesome from those lemons. I thought about making lemon curd. I may still do that, but I certainly don't want to end up as the person eating all them butter and eggs. I made some orange lemon marmalade last year. It was very good, but I want to do something else -- something light, refreshing and guilt-free. Lemon sorbet seems like a good idea, but why not jazz it up with that bottle of bubbly in the fridge?

The result certainly lives up to the premise. Very rarely does a whimsical idea in my head turn out so well in reality. Most of my truly oddball ideas end up in the garbage bin (ahem, lavender earl grey cupcakes, anyone?) To make this festive and refreshing little dessert, you need:

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 1/2 cups of water
• juice from 5 to 6 small or medium lemons
• zest from 5 to 6 small or medium lemons
• 1 1/2 cups of champagne or sparkling wine

Start by boiling water and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and add juice and zest. Make sure you taste the mixture to see how tart it is. I happen to have some really sweet lemons. If you have lemons that are more sour, feel free to cut back on the lemon juice. Unless you like it tart, in which case, add as much lemon juice as you want. Chill mixture in the refrigerator. After the mixture is chilled, add champagne or sparkling wine. I wouldn't use something super fancy in this, but make sure you like the taste.

At this point, you can use an ice cream machine to finish the process. Or, you can pour the mixture into a large pan and move the pan into the freezer. Check on it about every 30 minutes to an hour. Scrap with fork to make little ice crystals. Yes, I know that's more like granita. No matter what you call it, it will be delicious.

Note that because the mixture has alcohol in it, it will take a little bit longer to set up in the freezer. Also, it will set up soft, not frozen solid. If you like a firmer texture, replace half a cup of champagne with water.

The sorbet is a gorgeous canary yellow. It's sweet and fragrant with a hint of effervescence. Pretty awesome, if you ask me.

Mock Monk Chili

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Several months ago, we went to Monk's Kettle, a San Francisco bar and eatery. One memorable dish was their vegan chili, which had a smooth soup base and full of mushrooms and carrots. We both loved it so much. Since then, I've thought about creating my version of the same chili.

My attempt at the Monk's Kettle vegan chili was good, but not perfect. It was certainly savory and delicious, but sort of different from what we had. Nevertheless, I thought it's a good enough dish to make it blog-worthy.

You'll need:

• 2 tablespoons of canola oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1 teaspoon of ground oregano
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 3 cups of vegetable stock or water
  
• 6 medium or large carrots, peeled and chopped into 2-inch pieces
• 1 pint of oyster mushrooms, sliced
  
• 1 pint of cremini mushrooms, sliced
  
• salt and pepper to taste
• chopped cilantro for garnish

In a large pot, sweat onion and jalapeno pepper in canola oil over medium low heat until vegetables are soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add cumin, coriander, chili powder, and oregano. Cook for another minute, or until the spices are fragrant. Add black beans, tomatoes, vegetable stock/water. Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer, then cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Using a stand blender or immersion blender and process the mixture until it is smooth. Add carrots. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add mushrooms. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

I think the secret ingredient here is the ground coriander. I don't think you can taste it in the final product, but it gives the chili a nice, well-rounded flavor. I tend to find chili recipes that consist mostly of chili powder to taste too harsh. The mushrooms really make this dish meaty and substantial. It's such a fun and warm recipe for cold wet days.