Sweet and Spicy Tofu with Green Beans

Once I started cooking with tofu I asked the ladies on my cooking board for some recipe recommendations. My friend Mary Ellen listed this Sweet and Spicy Tofu with Green Beans as one of her favorites.

I had a few mishaps making this, mainly mistaking the oyster sauce in the fridge for hoisin sauce. No biggie, I just used the oyster sauce. Stir fries are so forgiving. I also ran out of sherry, so I used rice wine vinegar to make up the difference. I was running late getting dinner on the table and the sauce was taking forever to thicken, so I made a slurry with cornstarch and some water and mixed that in to thicken the sauce quickly. I love cornstarch in stir fries - it makes the sauce so velvety and sooth.


I doubled the recipe so we'd have leftovers for lunch. And speaking of leftovers, I had half an avocado in the fridge from earlier in the week. I've seen a few Asian dishes with avocado so I thought I'd dice it up and throw it in with my leftovers. All I can say is WOW. I added an avocado to the ingredient list as optional but I HIGHLY recommend adding it in if you love avocado. Not only did it help temper the spice from the sriracha, the creamy texture was a great compliment to the crispy green beans and water chestnuts.

I'm really loving cooking with tofu and this dish was no exception. A delicious, spicy sauce and healthy to boot. Win-win!

Sweet and Spicy Tofu with Green Beans
As seen on Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

1 block of extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons hoisin (or oyster sauce)
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
3 tablespoons dry cooking sherry (or rice wine vinegar)
2 teaspoons chili garlic paste (sriracha)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 small onion, sliced
1/2 can water chestnuts, sliced
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
1/2 avocado, diced (optional)

Heat olive oil and sesame oil in a large saute pan or wok. Add tofu; cook until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels.

Add garlic and onions to the wok, saute 1-2 minutes. Add water chestnuts and green beans, saute 1-2 minutes.

Mix hoisin, brown sugar, soy sauce, sherry, chili garlic paste, and broth. Add to the pan and bring to a simmer. Return tofu to the pan; let cook a few minutes. Reduce heat and add the cornstarch mixed with water. Let simmer to thicken.

Serve over rice or noodles topped with diced avocado, if desired.

Restaurant Knockoff: Texas Roadhouse Green Beans

I've been in a side dish rut lately. I asked the ladies on my cooking board what they usually make and now I have a ton of recipes to try. First on my list were these Texas Roadhouse Green Beans. We love Texas Roadhouse. Our first experience at the chain was with my grandmother during a visit to West Virginia almost 10 years ago. I'd been there at least once before for some relative's birthday, but this was the first meal I remember. In addition to the delicious steak, I fell in love with their green beans. These aren't your usual steamed green beans. These came in a delicious broth with onions and bacon. They were kicked up green beans and ever since, whenever we eat at a Texas Roadhouse I have to order them.


I was excited to see how these would compare to the ones in the restaurant. They were absolutely perfect, exactly the same as what I get at the restaurant, although they needed a little salt. I added it to the ingredient list below. I'm really excited to have an at-home version for the next time we grill up some steaks. Here they are simmering away on the stove.


I was able to simmer them for probably 30 minutes since I made them on a Sunday afternoon. The recipe indicated the longer they sit the better the flavor so feel free to let them cook as long as you'd like. Canned green beans are already pretty mushy so it's not like you're running the risk of compromising the texture.

Texas Roadhouse Green Beans
Slightly Modified from The Rookie Chef

2 (16 ounce) cans of green beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 strips of bacon, diced
1/2 a medium onion, diced

Drain green beans and set aside. Mix water, sugar, pepper and salt until well incorporated. Set aside.

Preheat a deep pan over medium high heat. Add the diced bacon. Cook until just starting to get crispy. Add the onions and cook until they are tender, then add the green beans and liquid mixture. Stir to incorporate. Bring mixture to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer. Simmer until ready to serve.

Roast Beef with Onion Gravy

I'm sure most people have a handful of meals that bring them back to their childhood. Roast Beef with Onion Gravy is one of mine. This is my dad's favorite meal and one my stepmom made for his birthday every year. I don't know why it's taken me this long to attempt to make it, but I finally emailed her to ask how she made the gravy and was surprised to hear it was as simple as water and onion soup mix in the bottom of the roasting pan.


We had purchased an obscenely large beef tenderloin for Christmas, so after the holiday we vacuum-sealed two, 4-lb roasts and froze them. Seeing as they're getting dangerously close to having a birthday, I figured I better use them quickly. This roast was the second of the two, the first one I made a few weeks ago with my all-time favorite potato gratin recipe. In keeping with my dad's favorites, I served this with mashed potatoes and what was supposed to be peas, until I checked the freezer and saw we were out. Baby Girl loves her peas, so I wasn't surprised to see we'd gone through another bag. I just subbed green beans for the peas. Hopefully my dad won't mind the substitution.


One bite and I was transported back to my childhood. The gravy was perfect, the beef tender, the mashed potatoes rich and buttery. Perfection on a plate. I'll definitely be making this again soon, maybe even for my dad the next time he and my stepmom are in town.

Roast Beef with Onion Gravy
Recipe from my stepmom

1 (3 1/2-4-lb) beef roast
Salt and pepper
1 packet onion soup mix
3 cups cold water, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle salt and pepper over all sides of the roast. Place roast on a rack set in a roasting pan and put in the oven.

Dissolve the onion soup mix with 3 cups of cold water (doesn’t completely dissolve) and add it to the bottom of the pan with the roast 15 minutes after putting it in the oven. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Baste the roast with the mixture as it cooks, about every half hour. For medium the roast will take about 2-2 1/2 hours. Add water to the bottom of the roasting pan, as needed so the drippings and soup mix don't dry out and burn.

When the roast is done, take the remaining drippings and pour into a small pot and bring to boil, adding water as needed to make the amount of gravy you want. Combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until cornstarch is dissolved, then add to the gravy until it thickens.

Serve the gravy on the side, with the sliced beef, peas and mashed potatoes.

Pot Roast and Popovers

I love Sunday dinners. I love spending the day in the kitchen cooking and I really love the wonderful smells that come from long-simmering dishes like pot roast. As much as I'm excited for the bounty of produce that heralds the start of spring and summer, I'm going to miss meals like this one.


I served the pot roast with mashed potatoes, green beans and the carrots, onion and mushrooms from the sauce. I also made these popovers that are basically the same as the Yorkshire Pudding I make at Christmas and were just as delicious:


I love how they puff up and get golden brown. SP and I fought over these.

Pot Roast
Adapted from Vintage Victuals and Food Network

1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/4 cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1 1/2 - 2 lb. chuck roast
4-6 carrots, peeled and cut into 3″ pieces
1 large onion, cut into wedges
1 cup mushrooms, stems removed and sliced in half
1 large can crushed tomatoes
16 ounces beef broth
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, mix the flour, salt and pepper on a plate. Dry the roast and then coat all sides in the flour mixture. Brown the roast on all sides in the hot oil.

Pour in the tomatoes and the beef broth. Scatter the vegetables, thyme and bay leaves around the pot roast and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Braise for about 3 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices, until the beef is fork tender.

Slice the pot roast and arrange on platter surrounded by the vegetables. Serve with the pot juices.

Meatloaf Muffins, Scalloped Potatoes and Green Beans

I'm sorry for all these horrible photos. I blame, in no particular order, rushing the take photos so we can eat, lack of natural light and unphotogenic food.

Meatloaf muffins are one of my favorite dinners to make because they're so simple yet so delicious.


I mixed meatloaf mix, some salsa, one beaten egg, and bread crumbs in a bowl, then put some of the mix into each cup of a greased muffin tin. I baked them, along with the potatoes, at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes. The green beans were simply steamed and tossed with butter, salt and pepper.

Christmas Dinner

This year SP and I hosted Christmas dinner. It's an easy meal, the same one we've had for years at my stepgrandmother's house, but when you're the one cooking it there's immense pressure to make it fantastic.

We started with delicious olives, artichokes, meat, cheese, stuffed peppers and asparagus that my aunt brought:


The main course was roast beef. I followed the Wegmans cooking directions but left out the red wine sauce. I hadn't anticipated how long the beef would need to cook, so I'm glad we had stuff to nosh on while we waited. Here it is resting before I carved into it:


... and a few slices for the table:


Green beans with almonds:


Mashed potatoes (I used my ricer to get them silky smooth):


Yorkshire pudding:


... which is much easier to make then I would have thought. My plate for the first round:


Everything was delicious, if I do say so myself. Next year I think it'll be even better because I know how long everything takes to cook!

Crunchy Chicken with Sesame Rice and Green Beans

Lately I've been disappointed with the recipes in Everyday with Rachael Ray (anyone else feel like she's run out of ideas and the new ones are just plain bizarre?), but this one for Crunchy Chicken with Sesame Rice and Green Beans was just a jazzed up version of chicken and rice so I thought I'd give it a whirl. Holy cow...it was just incredible.





I subbed panko for the breadcrumbs and they got gorgeously crispy after frying. Delicious. I think the mayo and soy sauce drizzle was what made the dish. Such a simple combination that packed a lot of flavor. And you can't go wrong with rice and green beans sprinkled with sesame seeds. I can't wait to make this one again.



Crunchy Chicken with Sesame Rice and Green Beans

Modified from Everyday with Rachael Ray



1 cup rice

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 cup panko

2 eggs

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for frying

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips

1 pound green beans

Preheat the oven to 200°. In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/4 cups water, the rice and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sesame seeds.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, soy sauce and 1 tablespoon water. Put panko on a plate. In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs.

Fill a large skillet with enough olive oil to reach a depth of 1/4 inch and place over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper; dip into the eggs, then into the panko. Working in 2 batches, add the chicken to the pan and cook, turning once, until cooked through, about 5 minutes; drain on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Transfer to the oven to keep warm.

Wipe out the skillet and fill with enough water to reach a depth of 1/2 inch; add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and bring to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until tender, 5 minutes. Drain; season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame seeds. Serve with the rice and chicken. Drizzle the chicken with the sauce.

Chicken with Mushrooms

It's going to be slow going, but I'm determined to get back into food blogging. Here's a dish I made a few weeks ago - Chicken with Mushrooms.


I served it over pasta but the next time I made it I served it over rice and it was much better. The pasta wasn't able to soak up the sauce the same way the rice could.

Herb and Lemon-Marinated Pork Tenderloin, Au Gratin Potatoes and Green Beans

I love pork tenderloins. They're so easy to cook and stay juicy and flavorful. I used the same marinade I used last time and it was delicious.


I need to get my act together to actually marinate these overnight, although if I do I'll cut down on the lemon since SP said it overwhelmed the thyme after just three hours. I served the pork with au gratin potatoes (boxed), green beans and leftover biscuits.

Roast Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

The thing I love about roast chicken is how easy it is to make. I served it with mashed potatoes and green beans:


We had a chicken in the freezer from the last trip to the wholesale club, so all I had to do was season it (stuff the cavity with crushed garlic and a lemon cut into wedges, sprinkle the outside with salt and pepper) and rub the outside with oil. It baked at 400 degrees for about an hour and a half. My chicken was a little frozen in the center, so I ended up having to cut the meat off the bone and finish roasting it on a sheet pan.

Roast Pork Loin, Couscous and Green Beans

Pork tenderloins were on sale at the supermarket so I bought a few without really knowing how to prepare them. I trust Ina, so when I saw her recipe for Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloins I knew it would be a winner.


I used dried herbs and the pork was still tender and delicious. I served the slices with couscous and green beans.

Christmas Dinner

This year my mom took over the cooking of the traditional Christmas feast. She made a standing rib roast, which my stepdad expertly carved:


... as well as Yorkshire pudding with the pan drippings:


My mom took these pics because I was feeding the baby, so I don't have closeups of the green beans with almonds or the mashed potatoes, but here's a table shot:


And my plate with a little bit of everything:


The meat was done perfectly, nice and rare. Everything was fantastic and a great meal to celebrate our first Christmas with Baby Girl. Dessert was a yummy, dense chocolate cake:


... and coffee. I could have eaten half the cake, it was that good.

Food from Friends

Our next-door neighbor, K, brought us some food a few weeks ago:


From the top, going clockwise: pulled pork, mac and cheese, green beans, squash, Parmesan chicken and roasted potatoes.

Onion Chicken, Au Gratin Potatoes and Green Beans

We had leftover French's onions from Thanksgiving. I was looking at the can and saw a recipe for onion chicken that sounded super simple - coat chicken in egg and crushed onions and bake.


I have a confession to make - I've been cheating these days. SP found these Betty Crocker casserole potatoes and I fell in love with them. Simple to make and they taste pretty darn good. I'm also into steaming veggies in the microwave, especially since our supermarket was practically giving them away at Thanksgiving. One day, when Baby Girl is older and I can really get back in the kitchen, I'll go back to my old way of cooking but for now we had a delicious meal in no time flat.

Thanksgiving Day

Happy Turkey Day! Yes, I know this post is a little late but things are hectic around here, as you can imagine. This year we decided to keep things very low-key. We still went to my parent's house, but SP did some of the cooking (veggie sides and dessert) and my mom did the turkey and the rest of the sides. It was a great time and Baby Girl slept through the whole meal, allowing everyone to enjoy a hot meal together.

Here's the turkey, fresh from the oven:


And here it is after my stepdad worked his carving magic:


Glorious, fluffy mashed potatoes:


SP made the stuffing, with a little help from me:


...with a hint of apple from apple cider. Delish! He also made green bean casserole:


Yes, it had cream of mushroom soup, but the beans were fresh. Cranberry sauce:


Glazed carrots:


... were the surprise hit of the year. It was a simple recipe using brown sugar, sherry and baby carrots and butter. Plenty of gravy made from the turkey drippings:


The table all laid out:


My plate with lots of everything.


I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. Next year maybe Baby Girl will be helping out in the kitchen.