Sunday, March 25, 2012

Pumpkin bread spread

1. cheesecake spread 
 Just soften some cream cheese, and then mix together with a bit of sour cream and powdered sugar and cinnamon, and then stick it in the fridge until it’s time to eat.

2. Honey Walnut Cream Cheese Spread
    • 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
    • 2 -3 tablespoons honey
    • 2 -3 tablespoons brown sugar
    • 1 -2 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 -2 dash cinnamon
    • 1 ounce crushed walnuts

Directions

  1. Put all ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Mix with a blender.
  3. Eat until gone.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Sesame-Crusted Tofu over Vegetables


http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/sesame_crusted_tofu.html

From EatingWell:  May/June 2011, EatingWell Fast & Flavorful Meatless Meals (2011) Marinated, sesame-crusted tofu tops a delightful medley of stir-fried vegetables that includes bok choy, bell pepper, scallions and snow peas. The recipe packs enough vegetables that all you need to add is a little short-grain brown rice to make it a meal.
4 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each | Active Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 3/4 hours

Ingredients

Tofu & Marinade

  • 1 14-ounce package extra-firm water-packed tofu, drained
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tablespoon grated or minced fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon mirin (see Notes) or dry sherry
  • 1 teaspoon chile-garlic sauce (see Notes)
  • 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Sauce

  • 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth
  • 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons mirin or sherry
  • 2 teaspoons chile-garlic sauce
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Vegetables

  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil, divided
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 1/2 pounds bok choy, trimmed and very coarsely chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups snow peas, trimmed

Preparation

  1. To prepare tofu & marinade: Fold a clean kitchen towel and place it on a cutting board or large plate. Set tofu on the towel. Put another folded clean towel over the tofu and place a flat, heavy weight (such as a skillet) on top; drain for 30 minutes.
  2. Combine garlic, ginger, soy sauce, mirin (or sherry), chile-garlic sauce and sesame oil in a bowl. Cut the drained tofu into 1-inch cubes. Add to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  3. To prepare sauce: Whisk water (or broth), soy sauce, mirin (or sherry), chile-garlic sauce, cornstarch and sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
  4. To stir-fry tofu & vegetables: Toss the tofu with sesame seeds in a large bowl. Heat 1 teaspoons peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu and cook, turning often, until golden and crusty, 8 to 10 minutes. Cover and keep warm.
  5. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoons peanut oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add bok choy, bell pepper, scallions and snow peas; cook, stirring, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
  6. Make a well in the vegetables; whisk the reserved sauce and add to the center of the pan. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring, until thickened. Toss the vegetables with the sauce. Transfer to a large shallow serving bowl and top with the tofu.

Nutrition

Per serving : 232 Calories; 12 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 0 mg Cholesterol; 19 g Carbohydrates; 14 g Protein; 5 g Fiber; 483 mg Sodium; 1006 mg Potassium
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 1 medium-fat meat, 1 1/2 fat

Tips & Notes

  • Notes: Mirin is a sweet, low-alcohol rice wine essential in Japanese cooking. Look for it in your supermarket with other Asian ingredients.
  • A blend of ground chiles, garlic and vinegar, chile-garlic sauce is commonly used to add heat and flavor to Asian soups, sauces and stir-fries. It can be found in the Asian section of large supermarkets (sometimes labeled as chili- garlic sauce or paste) and keeps up to 1 year in the refrigerator.