I really liked these noodles. The marinated eggplant was delicious! And instead of using plain tofu (as called for in the recipe), I opted to swap it out for a mix of smoked tofu and marinated black bean tofu. And I think both went very well with the overall dish.

I think the only changes that I'd make next time would be to cook the eggplant for slightly longer. And to use slightly more soy sauce and less oil in the dressing for the noodles. Oh, and I might try adding a grated carrot or two next time. It was very good as is, but I think it would be even better with a few more veggies. And grated carrot is very quick and easy to add and something that I generally have on hand.

Soba Noodle Salad with Marinated Eggplant and Tofu

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

Eggplant

• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar¹
• 2 Tbsp. dark soy sauce²
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/8 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Asian eggplants, halved and sliced 1cm thick

Noodles

• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
• 2 tsp. light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 275g soba noodles

Assembly

• 2 Tbsp. corn or peanut oil
• 375g firm, smoked, and/or dry marinated tofu (五香豆干), cut into 1cm cubes
• 1 carrot, grated (optional)
• 5 green onions, sliced
• 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. Combine the sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, pepper, and garlic for the marinade and stir to mix.
2. Add the eggplant, toss to coat, and set aside for 1 hour.
3. Combine the sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger paste for the dressing and stir to mix.
4. Cook the soba according to package diretions³, rinse under cold water, and drain.
5. Toss the noodles with the dressing and set aside.
6. Heat a wok over medium-high heat.
7. Drizzle in the oil and swirl to coat.
8. Add the marinated eggplant and stir-fry for 5-6 minutes.
9. Add eggplant to bowl with noodles and return wok to heat.
10. Add tofu to wok (along with a little more oil if necessary) and stir-fry until crispy (~5 minutes).
11. Add tofu to bowl with noodles.
12. Add carrot (if using) and green onions and toss to combine.
13. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

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¹ I didn't have any sherry vinegar, so I substituted cane vinegar. I think apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar would also work well though. ^Back
2 The recipe didn't specify whether to use dark or light soy sauce, so I used a mix. I think I'd just use straight dark soy for the marinade next time though. That said, I think either would be fine in a pinch. ^Back
3 The recipe called for boiling the soba for 6 minutes in salted water, but the package instructions specifically called for unsalted water and only 4 minutes of cooking. We opted to trust the package over the cookbook. I would recommend doing the same for whatever noodles you end up using. Six minutes definitely would have been way too much. ^Back

I took a few too many liberties with this recipe. Or, at least one too many, rather.

Banh mi are meant to be made on baguettes. And that is, indeed, what this recipe calls for. Unfortunately, I didn't have any baguettes. And I didn't want to wait until tomorrow to make this, so I decided that I'd just roll with some non-honey-filled honeycakes as the bread component of these sandwiches. Go for little banh mi sliders rather than the traditional sub. Sadly, the honeycake flavour profile doesn't really mix well with the banh mi flavour profile. They are two great tastes that do not taste great together.

That said, all the individual components were good! So I do think this would have been fine had I made it on the right bread. The cilantro, mint, pickled veggies, and sri racha mayo were all delicious. And I think the bacon and eggs would have been great with them. Although I say "would have" because I did end up making another substitute here. First off, because I was making sliders rather than subs, I went with scrambled eggs rather than fried. I think scrambled worked well here, but I'd be interested to try it with fried sometime, just to see how I like it. And the other change was to swap the bacon out from some turkey breast deli meat. I was going to use smoked tofu, but I hadn't realized that TF had used up the last of it while I was away camping and neither of us had ever restocked. So turkey breast was the best substitute I could manage in the end. It was fine, but I think that smoked tofu, tempeh, or bacon would have been better.

Still, despite a few... less-than-ideal substitutions, this worked out alright as a last-minute breakfast. I would definitely keep this in my back pocket to try again someday. Especially if I had some nice baguettes on hand!

Breakfast Banh Mi

Slightly adapted from The Breakfast Bible by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

Pickled Veggies

• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 shallot¹, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/4 c. rice vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt

Sri Racha Mayo²

• 1/4 c. mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. sri racha
• 2 tsp. lime juice³

Sandwich

• 8 slices bacon or smoked tofu
• 4 large eggs
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 baguette
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint

Directions

1. Combine the carrot, shallot, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a jar.
2. Close jar tightly and shake to mix. Set aside for at least 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine the mayo, sri racha, and lime juice and mix well. Set aside.
4. Cook your bacon or tofu until crisp. If using tofu, add a little fat to the pan to help it crisp up.
5. Set the bacon/tofu on a plate and either drain fat from or add fat to the pan as appropriate.
6. Either fry or scramble your eggs in the pan, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Cut the baguette into four equal pieces and slice each piece in half lengthwise.
8. Spread both halves of each baguette section with sri racha mayo.
9. Top the bottom half of each baguette section with bacon/tofu, eggs, pickled veggies, cilantro, and mint and place the top piece of the baguette on top.

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¹ The original recipe called for half a red onion, but I didn't have red onions and I did have shallots. And, honestly, I felt like a shallot would go better here anyway, so I would 100% keep this substitution in the future. That said, I think red onion would also be fine. Especially if it'd save you a trip to the grocery store. So, use whichever one is most convenient. ^Back
2 I've halved the quantities called for here because the original recipe made way too much mayo! ^Back
3 The original recipe called for lemon juice, but, after giving it some thought, I decided to go with lime juice instead. I felt like the lime would complement the other flavours better. I think either one would be fine though. Also, the recipe didn't call for any zest and I didn't use any, but I might try tossing in a pinch next time. I think it would be nice. ^Back

I've been staring at this omelette recipe for a while. I looked tasty. But it also involved a lot of ingredients that I don't normally keep on hand: pico de gallo, avocado, bacon, alfalfa sprouts, Monterey jack cheese... So, as much as it looked like an appealing breakfast option, it kept getting pushed because I haven't been organized enough to get all the bits. But, I had some leftover pepper jack from another recipe and I figured I could just quickly swing through the grocery store and get the rest of the components a day or two before making it.

In the end, the pepper jack ended up getting eaten before I got around to making the omelette, so I had to use all cheddar, rather than I mix of cheddar and jack. The ready-made pico de gallo at the grocery store was way over-priced and didn't look very good, so I ended up making my own from scratch. I couldn't find any sprouts, so I ended up tossing in a small handful of spring mix instead. And I forgot to get the bacon, so I fried up some thinly sliced smoked tofu and used that instead.

So, in the end, quite a few changes from the original recipe. But it was still very good. Probably not something I'll revisit often due to the ingredient list. But I would definitely consider it as either a special occasion thing or if I somehow ended up with pico, bacon, and avocado sitting around needing to be used.

California Omelette

Adapted from The Breakfast Bible by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp. unsalted butter, divided
• 1/4 c. grated cheddar, divided
• 1/4 c. grated Monterey jack (or pepper jack), divided
• 4 slices bacon (or 8 short slices smoked tofu), cooked until crisp and chopped and divided
• 1/2 avocado, chopped and divided
• 1/4 c. pico de gallo, divided
• 2 small handfulls spring mix or baby spinach, divided

Directions

1. Beat the eggs with the milk and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Melt 1 tsp. of the butter over medium heat.
3. Pour in half the egg mixture and cook until bottom is just set.
4. Lift up edges and let raw egg flow underneath. Keep cooking until eggs are nearly fully set and just slightly wet on top.
5. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the omelette.
6. Add half of the bacon to one side of the omelette along with half of the avocado, pico de gallo, and greens.
7. Fold the omelette over and cook for another 30-60 seconds.
8. Transfer omelette to a plate and repeat cooking process with remaining ingredients to make a second omelette.

One-Pot Miso Ramen

We got these "revo bento" boxes recently and have been getting a lot of use out of them. Not as bento boxes, but they're great for storing stuff in the fridge, and a good intermediate size between the small containers in the 100-500mL range we already had lots of and the larger 1.5-2L containers that are often overkill. And unlike the glass or plastic containers¹, they're stove- and flame-safe, so I suspect they'll see a lot of use in the camping season as combined cookware, servingware, and storage containers.

In the meantime, they came with a little recipe booklet filled with dishes meant to be prepared mostly or entirely in the bento boxes themselves, so you can just cook them, eat out of the box, and put a lid over any leftovers. In this case I didn't actually do that; the bentos don't work with induction, so I just cooked it in a separate pot and served in the bento rather than heating up the tawa. Symbol and I shared it, and while it's considerably less soupy than I'm used to miso ramen being, neither of us had any complaints about the taste.

The recipe calls for a head of bok choi; we didn't have any on hand, so I instead used about a cup and a half of (already cooked) broccoli and cauliflower leftovers from a previous meal. I think it would be really tasty with bok choi, though, and I've written it up as such.

One-Pot Miso Ramn

Swanz/Morph Recipe Book for Revo Bento (p. 9)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 ~200g packet of smoked firm tofu, diced (or other protein of your choice)
• 1 tbsp miso paste
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp chili oil
• 150mL stock or broth
• 150mL vegetable milk (I used oat milk)
• 1 packet instant ramen noodles (discard the seasoning packet, or save it for a different recipe)
• 1-2 heads bok choi, coarsely chopped
• 2 eggs, soft-boiled or fried

Directions

1. Melt the butter over medium-high heat.
2. Add garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, ~1 minute.
3. Add protein and stir-fry until browned and cooked through.
4. Add miso paste, soy sauce, and chili oil and stir until paste is melted and protein is evenly coated.
5. Pour in the stock and vegetable milk and let simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Add the ramen noodles and cook, stirring into the broth as they soften, for ~2 minutes.
7. Stir in the bok choi or other veggies.
8. Remove from heat, top with eggs, and serve.

I needed a vegetable side dish to go with dinner a while ago. This recipe for braised kale fit the bill nicely. Although I ended up using a mix of kale, spinach, and fenugreek leaves for the greens and swapped out the ham called for in the original recipe for some smoked tofu. I also adjusted the seasoning slightly to give it a slightly more Indian vibe since we were going to be serving it with curry and rice. I think this all worked quite well. Not so well that I'd call this dish a "favourite", but it did the job of making sure we had enough veggies on our plate and tasted nice: mission accomplished!

Braised Greens with White Beans and Smoked Tofu

Adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 450g greens of your choice¹ (fresh or frozen)
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 125g smoked tofu, diced
• 1/2 c. chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt²
• 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 1 (470g) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp. dabeli masala

Directions

1. If using fresh greens, remove and particularly tough ribs and discard. Tear or chop the greens into ~5cm pieces and set aside.
2. Heat the oil over medium heat.
3. Add the garlic and sauté for 30-60 seconds.
4. Add the tofu and cook for another minute or two.
5. Add the greens and cook until just wilted/thawed.
6. Add the broth, salt, and pepper and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
7. Add beans and dabeli masala and increase heat to medium-high.
8. Cook, stirring often, until beans are heated through (~3 minutes).
9. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve.

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¹ I used a mix of spinach and kale with a little bit of fenugreek mixed in. The original recipe just called for two bunches of kale. Swiss chard and/or mustard greens would probably also work well in this dish. Use whatever appeals to you the most. Back
² I used 1/2 tsp. of salt because I was using homemade chicken stock with very little salt in it. You may find you need less salt if using store-bought stock. The beans may also affect the overall saltiness of the dish since many canned beans have salt added to them during processing. ^Back

I didn't find that this pepper-ful scramble looked very appetizing, but it was actually quite tasty.

I made a few adjustments to the recipe. Nothing drastic, just small things to make it a bit more convenient and/or healthy. I halved the fat, using just 2 Tbsp. instead of 4. I also used a mix of red, orange, and yellow peppers rather than the two green and one red that the recipe called for. I swapped out the ham for smoked tofu. And I ended up using ~800mL of canned diced tomatoes rather than the 700-ish mL of fresh tomatoes called for in the original. I'm sure that all these changes weren't ideal, but, as I said, I was trying to work with what I had on hand.

Scrambled Eggs Piperade

Adapted from The Good Egg by Marie Simmons

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. bacon fat
• 4 onions, halved and sliced
• 3 bell peppers, cored and sliced
• 1 large (~800mL) can diced tomatoes
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c. diced smoked tofu (or ham)
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 8 large eggs
• toast, roasted potatoes, and/or hash browns

Directions

1. Melt the bacon fat over medium-low heat.
2. Add the onions and bell peppers and cook until very tender (~10 minutes).
3. Add the tomatoes and garlic, increase heat to medium, and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated (10-15 minutes).
4. Add the tofu (or ham), salt, and pepper.
5. Beat the eggs and pour them into the pan with the veggies.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring gently, until eggs are set (~5 minutes).
7. Serve with toast and/or potatoes.

I ran across the suggestion of making breakfast tostadas on... some blog somewhere. It was from a blogger who focused on weight loss and had a lot of Weight Watchers recipes. This one, surprisingly, wasn't a WW recipe; it was from another food blog. I didn't end up using the recipe provided, but I took inspiration from it.

I ended up using ready-made, canned refried beans, but you could easily make your own at home if you prefer. I did make my own baked tostadas for this, but you could use store-bought tostadas if you wanted to shave a little time and effort off the prep. The store-bought ones will be more Points/calories, of course, but sometimes that's a trade-off worth making. And it should still reasonably healthy (and low-Points) overall.

You can dress these up however you like. I did mine with refried beans, tomato salsa, cherry tomatoes, pickled jalapeños, fresh cilantro, avocado, and a fried egg. You could also try fresh or pickled onions on them, shredded lettuce, various types of cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, feta, cotija, etc.), bacon, chorizo, tempeh, smoked tofu... You could swap out the fresh avocado for guacamole. Try cooking your eggs a different way (scrambled, poached, or boiled come to mind). For a vegan take, you could go for scrambled tofu in place of the egg. There are lots of options!

Breakfast Tostadas

Ingredients

• 1-2 tostadas per person
• ~2 Tbsp. of refried beans per tostada
• 1-2 Tbsp. of grated or crumbled cheese per tostada (optional)
• ~1 Tbsp. of salsa or salsa verde per tostada
• ~1/8 of an avocado, sliced or 1-2 Tbsp. of guacamole per tostada (optional)
• 2-4 Tbsp. of veggies per tostada (lettuce, tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, bell pepper, radishes, etc.)
• 1 Tbsp. of crumbled bacon, tempeh, smoked tofu, or chorizo per tostada (optional)
• 1 egg per tostada (scrambled, fried, poached, or boiled) or ~1/4 c. of scrambled tofu
• ~1 Tbsp. of chopped fresh cilantro per tostada

Directions

1. Make sure your refried beans are nice and hot.
2. Spread the beans on your tostada.
3. Top with cheese (if using).
4. Top with salsa, avocado or guac (if using), and veggies, bacon/tofu/tempeh/chorizo (if using).
5. Top with egg or tofu.
6. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Someone shared their method of making sourdough okonomiyaki in a bread forum a while back and I jotted the recipe down for future use. It's similar to my existing okonomiyaki recipe. The main differences being that this one contains neither oil nor soy sauce (just salt and pepper). It also includes leavener, which my previous recipe did not. And, of course, sourdough starter replaces the flour and water in the original.

All-in-all it worked pretty well. I used kale, shredded carrots, green onion, smoked tofu, and a little bit of frozen "spaghetti mix" for mine, but you could easily change up both the protein and the veggies depending on what you feel like or what you have available.

Suggested veggies (~2 1/2 c.): kale, spinach, cabbage, brussels sprouts, onion, bell pepper, shishito pepper, green onion/scallion, carrots, mustard greens, corn, cremini or shiitake mushrooms
Suggested proteins (60-120g): tofu, smoked tofu, Chinese sausage, hotdog, tinned tuna, SPAM, poached chicken or turkey, back bacon

Sourdough Okonomiyaki

Ingredients

• 280g sourdough discard @ 100% hydration
• 1 large egg (or 1 small egg + 1 egg white)
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt¹, ground
• 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1-2 Tbsp. water or milk
• 1-2 carrots, grated (probably ~1 c. total)
• 1 c. frozen chopped kale
• 1/4 c. frozen "spaghetti mix"
• 3 chopped green onions
• ~75g diced smoked tofu
• soy sauce, mayo, hoisin sauce, and/or furikake, to serve

Directions

1. Combine starter, egg, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and baking soda and mix well.
2. Adjust consistency with water (or milk) to form a thin batter.
3. Mix in the veggies and tofu (or protein of your choice).
4. Heat pan over medium heat.
5. Lightly grease or spray pan with cooking spray and pour in ~1/3 of the batter. Spread it out thin. This should form a large (~25cm/10") pancake.
6. Cook until underside has begun to lightly brown, bubbles form, and top begins to set.
7. Carefully flip the pancake over and cook until the other side and browned slightly and pancake is cooked through.
8. Remove from heat and repeat process with remaining batter.
9. Serve pancakes topped with soy sauce, mayo, hoisin sauce, and/or furikake.

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¹ I may consider replacing the salt with dasida next time. I have a bunch that I need to use up and I think it could be a nice flavour. ^Back

This recipe was supposed to include pancetta, but I couldn't find any at the new grocery store that I've been going to, so I used diced smoked tofu crisped in a bit of bacon grease instead. It was pretty good, but I think next time I might add a few olives as well.

TF and I both like bucatini, but we agreed that it was a difficult shape for this dish. I would be inclined to try a short pasta next time. I think orecchiette would work quite well. Gemelli might also be good and it's not a shape I find myself using that often, so this recipe would be a nice excuse. And if neither of those can be found, then I think shells or cavitapi would do well here.

Photo goes here.

Bucatini with Peas and Kale

Slightly adapted from Cook's Country December/January 2021

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. bacon grease or olive oil
• 90g smoked tofu, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. lemon zest, divided
• 2 Tbsp. chopped green or kalamata olives (optional)
• 1/2 c. dry white wine
• 2 c. vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 1/2 c. water
• 450g dried pasta
• 1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/8 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1/8 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 1/2-3/4 c. Parmesan cheese, divided
• 140g kale, chopped
• 1 c. frozen peas

Directions

1. Melt the bacon grease over medium heat.
2. Add the tofu and cook, stirring occasionally, until crsip (~5 minutes).
3. Add the garlic, 2 tsp. of the lemon zest, and olives (if using) and cook for another 30 seconds or so.
4. Add the wine and cook until mostly evaporated (~3 minutes).
5. Add the chicken stock and water and bring to a boil.
6. Add the pasta and cook until molto al dente (8-10 minutes for bucatini).
7. Meanwhile, combine the breadcrumbs, olive oil, salt, and pepper and microwave on high in 20- or 30-second bursts, stirring between each one, until golden-brown (2-3 minutes).
8. Stir 1/4 c. of the Parmesan and the remaining 1 tsp. of lemon zest into the panko mixture and set aside.
9. Stir kale and peas into pasta and cook for another minute or two until pasta is desired doneness.
10. Add remaining Parmesan and stir vigorously for 30 seconds.
11. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper and serve topped with the panko mixture.

I totally missed the part of the instructions that mentioned that this recipe absolutely requires fresh corn and that frozen corn must not be substituted for this crucial ingredient because, being par-cooked, it wouldn't release the essential starches. Unfortunately, I was in a bit of a hurry and I didn't read that bit until after I'd already made the soup. My soup may not have been as thick as would have been ideal, but it was still very good! Definitely use fresh corn if you can get it but, as it turns out, frozen will do in a pinch, although the texture won't be as thick and the flavour won't be as rich.

Roasted Corn and Poblano Chowder

Slightly adapted from Cook's Country June/July 2016

Ingredients

• 2 poblano chilies
• 1/2 Tbsp. oil, divided
• 6 ears of corn, kernels cut from cobs (~5 c.)
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1 1/4 tsp. black pepper, ground, divided
• 1 Tbsp. bacon grease (or fat of your choice)
• 1/2 package smoked tofu¹ (~90g), sliced thin and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 7 c. chicken or vegetable stock
• 450g potatoes, cubed
• 1/4 c. half-and-half²
• 2 (15cm/6") corn tortillas
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• sour cream, to serve
• queso fresco³
• fried corn tortilla pieces or crumbled tostadas or corn chips, to serve
• lime wedge, to serve

Directions

1. Halve the peppers and remove the stems and seeds.
2. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and adjust oven rack to be ~15cm (6") from the broiler.
3. Toss the peppers with 1/2 tsp. of the oil and place them at one end of the baking sheet.
4. Toss the corn with the remaining 1 tsp. of oil, 1/4 tsp. of salt, and 1/2 tsp. of the pepper and place it at the other end of the baking sheet.
5. Broil for ~15 minutes, flipping the peppers and stirring the corn halfway through.
6. Place the peppers in a plastic bag and set aside for ~10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, heat the bacon grease over medium heat.
8. Add the tofu (if using) and cook until slightly crispy.
9. Add the onions and cook for another 5-6 minutes.
10. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so.
11. Add the broth, potatoes, and roasted corn and bring to a boil.
12. Cook at a vigorous simmer for ~20 minutes.
13. Meanwhile, take the roasted peppers out of the plastic bag and peel off and discard the skins. Chop the flesh and set aside.
14. Once the potatoes are cooked, remove the soup from heat and stir in half-and-half.
15. Transfer ~500mL of soup to a blender.
16. Add the tortillas to the blender with the soup and purée until smooth.
17. Pour puréed soup back into pot and add the chopped peppers.
18. Bring to a simmer and cook for another minute or two.
19. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro, lime juice, and the remaining 3/4 tsp. pepper. If you use homemade or low-sodium stock, you may need to adjust the salt as well.
20. Serve chowder topped with extra cilantro, sour cream, and queso fresco (or a cheese of your choice) with lime wedges on the side.

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¹ The original recipe calls for 4 slices of bacon here. You fry the bacon, then cook the onions in the bacon grease, then serve the crumbled bacon as a topping for the soup. I was going to just crisp up a bit of smoked tofu in some bacon grease and mix that into the soup along with the onions, but I ran out of smoked tofu. So, in the end, I just left it out. (And TF and the Kidlet topped their soups with a bit of chopped kielbasa instead.) I definitely recommend adding it if you have any available though: smoked tofu is delicious and I'm sure the smokiness would've been a nice addition to the soup. ^Back
2 I might try experimenting with using whole milk (3.25% MF) in place of the half-and-half (10% MF) next time. Especially if I'm making it properly with fresh corn rather than frozen. I think having fresh corn would add a lot of richness so, as long as the heat doesn't curdle the milk, you might be able to get away with a lower fat content in your dairy. ^Back
3 If you can't get queso fresco, then ricotta salata or cotija make reasonable substitutes. If you can't get those either (I rarely see any of the above three for sale around here), then feta is probably your next best bet. I've also seen cottage cheese recommended as a substitute, but I haven't tried it yet. ^Back

I've had my eye on this salad for a while, but I keep not quite getting around to making it. But I finally had all the ingredients and a bit of momentum, so I managed to get it put together.

I've been trying to do the Weight Watchers thing and count my calories and tally up Points and just generally be a little more mindful of what and how much I'm eating. So, with that in mind, I made a few adjustments and substitutions while making this to try to reduce its Points cost. And while it did help a bit, having now sat down and done the math, it didn't make that much of a difference in the end. The original version would've been around 4 Points per serving and my "lighter" version came out to around 3 Points per serving. So better, but not that much better. I think next time I'd just make it with the full amount of oil and cheese. (Although I'll probably keep the tofu instead of the bacon because I quite like it!)

Napa Cabbage Salad

Slightly adapted from Cook's Country February/March 2020

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. bacon grease
• 1/2 package smoked tofu, sliced
• 1/2-3/4 c. crumbled blue cheese
• 2-4 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 680g napa cabbage, cut into 3-4cm pieces
• 225g cherry (or grape) tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise then sliced crosswise
• 1 small red onion, quartered and sliced thin
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh basil

Directions

1. Melt the bacon grease over medium heat and fry the tofu in it until crispy on both sides.
2. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
3. Meanwhile, combine the cheese, oil, lemon juice, pepper, and salt and whisk until mostly smooth.
4. Once tofu is cool, chop it into bite-sized pieces.
5. Add cabbage, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, basil, and tofu to dressing and toss to combine.