Tofu Ceviche and Watermelon Pearls

Do you remember last season's Top Chef episode when Hector Santiago made Tofu Ceviche? It was a very warm day today, and I really didn't want to heat up the kitchen too much with hot food, so I looked online to see if that recipe was available, and viola!

The recipe is quite challenging, with the Mango and Cilantro Pearls, but I thought I'd give it a try- it was just too cool to pass up. It's made by heating juice with agar and then dropping it (drop by drop) into canola oil that's chilled in the refrigerator. I was missing the mango, so I tried it with watermelon. At first, the agar mixture just sank to the bottom of the oil and didn't form "pearls." So I stuck the oil in the freezer and tried it again, with some success but I would recommend letting the agar mixture cool a bit so it's not so hot and quicker to set.

The recipe that I found was a little hard to follow, so hopefully mine will make it a bit simpler. I opted to use pre-made tortillas and happened to have a really cool jar of habanero pickled garlic that Mark got from the Farmer's Market, and used it in the dressing instead of sprinkled on top. I changed a few things around, so you could say that mine is a variation... or one of my "spinz."

Ingredients

Marinated Tofu:

1 package extra firm tofu (14 oz.), drained and pressed to remove most of the water

1/3 C. orange juice

1/3 C. lemon juice

1/3 C. lime juice

1 T. tequilla silver (clear)

2 tsp. kosher salt

Cucumber Avacado Salad:

1 large cucumber (about 2-3 cups), cubed

1 ripe avocado (about 1 cup), cubed
1/2 C. fresh tomato, chopped

1/2 C. green onions, finely chopped

1/4 C. fresh cilantro, chopped

1 T. fresh jalapeno chili (minced)
Dressing for salad:

1 dried guajillo chili + 2 dried puya chilies (soaked in warm water to rehydrate)

3-4 cloves of pickled garlic (you can use the original recipe to make your own if you don't have store-bought)

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 T. agave nectar

1/4 C. water (or more)

salt to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp.)

Watermelon Pearls:

fresh watermelon (enough to make about 3 cups), cubed

pinch of salt

1 tsp. agave nectar

2 tsp. agar flakes

small bowl of canola oil, chilled in the freezer (won't solidify, so don't worry!)

Tortilla Chips:

(as many as you'd like) small corn tortillas, cut into quarters*

oil for frying

*You can use store-bought tortilla chips if you want, but fresh ones are SO good!

Spinz

First put your bowl of canola oil into the freezer to chill for a good hour.

Cut the tofu into small bite-sized cubes. Mix the marinade ingredients in a shallow casserole dish and add the tofu, spreading evenly. Put into your refrigerator to chill.

For the salad, put the soaked chilies, and the rest of the dressing ingredients into a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. I didn't have 6 chilies as the original recipe called for, so I subbed fresh jalapenos for more heat, but didn't blend those- just added to the salad. Add more water if needed (should have the consistency of a thin salad dressing). Add dressing to the salad, and toss.

For the watermelon pearls, puree the pearl ingredients until completely liquified. Strain enough to make 1 cup of juice. Add the agar, and heat until boiling, then turn down to simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring. When agar is dissolved, take off the heat and let stand until warm but still liquid (not hot).

Drop droplets into the bowl of oil. It should float for a bit. If it sinks immediately, then let the liquid cool down a bit more. Put everything back into the freezer to set.

To assemble:

1. Place salad on the bottom of your plate.

2. Top with "ceviched" tofu cubes.

3. Scoop out watermelon pearls and strain out the excess oil, then place the pearls on top of everything.

4. Finish with a spoonful of tofu marinade, drizzled on top.

4. Place tortilla chips on the side.

Vegan Raw Green Smoothie... for my cold! (sniff)

First cold of the season- ACK! So if you're supposed to starve a cold and feed a fever, what if you have both? ...Drink a Green Smoothie! (and don't starve yourself). There's something comforting and quite empowering about imbibing good raw nutrition through a straw. It feels like all those vitamins and nutrients are somehow going straight to my blood stream.

Of course, I probably wouldn't be sick in the first place, if I hadn't replaced the good nutrients with cupcakes as I have been. So, back on the green wagon it is!

Actually, this banana-kale smoothie is quite tasty and naturally sweet. If you have more of a sweet tooth, you can add a little squeeze of agave nectar. It's also quite easy to make, which is much appreciated when your feeling like I do- ugh!

Makes 1-2 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 C. ice
1 large banana
1 kale leaf, stripped from its stem
1/2 C. vanilla soy milk
1 tsp. ground flax seeds
squeeze of agave nectar (if desired)

Spinz:

Put ice, banana, kale, and flax seeds in a blender. Add the soy milk. Blend until smooth. Drink before it gets to room temp.

Feel free to experiment with different greens, fruits, etc. You might want to stay in the same color scheme to avoid a weird brown (gag) unappetizing color... which is NOT what you wanna see when you're sick! ...or just drink with your eyes closed.

... feeling better already!

Guiltless Chocolate Date Bon-Bons

Ok, so at first I called them "Chocolate Date Balls," and my male friends cringed at calling any type of confection "balls." So... I promptly suggested "Chocolate Harry Nut Sacks." Needless to say, that name didn't stick. I have seen a number of "date ball" recipes, and decided to try it on my own. The cocoa powder and date mixture is sinfully good, and makes a great alternative when I'm craving something sweet and chocolatey!

Ingredients:

3 C. Dried Dates (pitted)
1/4 C. Cocoa Powder
3-4 Tbs. Water
1 1/2 C. Walnuts, chopped
Dried Coconut Flakes (unsweetened)

Makes about 2 dozen

Spinz:

Put the dates into a food processor, making sure there are NO pits (they're hard as rocks and will get stuck in the blade, and no one wants to bite into one). Add cocoa powder and water, then puree until a sticky ball forms and it's almost smooth- if you like it chunky, process it less, but it must stick together. Scrape out into a mixing bowl and mix in chopped walnuts- the batter will be very stiff. Finally, pour some dried coconut flakes into a shallow bowl, and roll formed date balls to coat.

Tipz:

Try your own variation- I've made cinnamon ones, and cayenne pepper ones, but still prefer the old standard. Adding peanut butter sounds interesting, although not as guiltless! You can also roll them in cocoa powder, crushed nuts, crushed choc chips, or whatever you feel like! Also, try varying the type of nut. They make great gifts if you put them into those little crinkled cups and wrap them in a nice box.

Also, I use two spoons (one bigger than the other) to form the balls by scraping the mixture back and forth between the two. I then use a spoon to roll it in the coconut. The mixture is pretty sticky and sometimes I don't like getting my hands all gunked up... not always, but sometimes.