Stir-fry:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 package cubed super firm tofu, drained, or 8 oz. extra firm tofu cut into 1/2″ cubes
8 oz. fresh mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup sugar snap peas
2 medium carrots, sliced

Sauce:
1 5.6-oz. can regular coconut milk, about 1/3 cup
1/2 cup coarse ground or “chunky” natural peanut butter^*
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp maple syrup or sugar
1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp sesame oil

To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients and refrigerate. You may want to add more maple syrup or tamari if you prefer a sweeter or saltier flavor. The sauce will keep for at least a week in the fridge, so this can be done in advance.

Put prepared vegetables in a casserole dish with 2 tbsp water. Cover and microwave on high power for 5 minutes, then on 50% power for 5 minutes more. While the vegetables are cooking, heat vegetable oil and sesame oil in a pan and add the tofu cubes, stirring occasionally to brown them on all sides. When the vegetables are done, drain off any excess water and add them to the pan. Cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, then add the prepared sauce and heat through. You can thin the sauce out with water in the pan if it seems too thick. Serve over rice.

If you like more heat, add cayenne pepper powder, sriracha, or Thai chili flakes.

One quarter of this recipe served over 1 cup of cooked rice contains a whopping 650 Calories.

* – Natural peanut butter is actually important because it is almost always ground more coarsely than regular peanut butter. If you don’t have natural peanut butter, you can grind roasted peanuts in a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder.

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp vegan margarine (or butter)
1 large onion, diced
4 small celery stalks, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
8 cups water
2 tbsp Better Than Bouillon imitation chicken broth concentrate
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp salt
8 or 10 good twists of black pepper
1 8-ounce package Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chik’n Strips
6 ounces flat whole wheat noodles (or flat egg noodles)

Saute the onion, celery and carrot in the olive oil and margarine. Add the water, Better Than Bouillon, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or so. Microwave the Chik’n Strips to thaw, then chop into chunks. Add the Chik’n Strips and noodles to the pot and simmer until the noodles are cooked. Serves 6-8.

It’s too bad that here in Missouri, Cuban food is not exactly easy to find. When I had a hankering for it earlier this week, I decided to approximate it at home as best I could. More specifically, I tried to approximate 2 of the great dishes that TCP served in its heyday: Cuban black beans and rice (moros y cristianos) and Jamaican beef patties, which are like curry-flavored empanadas stuffed with spicy curried beef. Only the beans and rice are really Cuban.

I think they both turned out pretty well, so I’m going to share the recipes here. I made a few corrections based on some things I think I screwed up the first time, so you get the benefit of my mistakes. I did veganize the Jamaican beef patty recipe to better align with the way Kara and I are trying to eat, but nothing says you have to.

I also made way too much of the beans and rice, so reduce this recipe if you are feeding fewer than 12 people (or 2 people until they become totally sick of beans and rice):

CUBAN BLACK BEANS AND RICE (MOROS Y CRISTIANOS)
“Not as good as Narcisa and Alfredo’s, but it’ll do”

1 pound dry black beans
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp canola or soybean oil
1 large onion, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/3 cup crushed tomatoes
3 tbsp rice vinegar or white vinegar
1 tbsp sugar (or agave nectar, or whatever hippie sweetener you approve of)
2 bay leaves
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
4 cups uncooked white rice
salt and pepper

Cook the beans however you like. My process is to add the beans to 6-8 cups of hot water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes, remove from the heat to soak an hour, drain and rinse, add 6-8 cups of fresh water, re-boil, and cook at a low simmer for 40 minutes. Drain the beans and set aside.

In a big-ass stock pot, maybe even the one you cooked the beans in, sauté the onion and garlic in the oil, adding the cumin and oregano about a minute before you’re done. Add the vinegar, sugar, tomatoes, bay leaves, and a little of the stock, and cook for a couple minutes more. Add the rest of the stock and bring to a boil. Add the rice and reduce heat to low. Let cook for 30 minutes or so, or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is done, stirring a couple of times during the first few minutes to prevent sticking. Add salt and pepper to taste. Eat and eat and eat.

…and the second recipe:

JAMAICAN “BEEF” PATTIES

Filling:
2 tbsp canola or soybean oil
1 pound vegan mock ground beef crumbles, or 93% lean ground beef
1 large onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp prepared yellow curry powder
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper powder, more if you’re feeling lucky
3/4 cup vegetable or beef stock
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs

Crust:
1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour + 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour, or just 3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp prepared yellow curry powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
4 tbsp shortening
4 tbsp margarine or butter
an indeterminate amount of very cold water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Make the filling first. Saute the onion, garlic, and meat/”meat” in the oil. Add the curry powder, thyme, cayenne, salt and pepper, and saute for a minute or two more. Add the stock to deglaze the pan, then add the bread crumbs to absorb the rest of the stock. Remove from the heat.

For the crust, mix the dry ingredients (flour, curry powder, turmeric, baking powder and salt) in a bowl and cut in the shortening and margarine, or just rub them in with your fingers if you like to get messy. Mix in water until the mixture forms a workable dough. Roll the dough out into circles that are both larger and thinner than would be appropriate for an empanada (1/8 inch thick at most, and maybe 5 or 6 inches across). Fill with the filling mixture, fold over and seal. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until just beginning to brown on top.

While we were in the area, I insisted on going to the National Zoo and Ikea. Then I looked up a restaurant, Tortacos in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

In the interest of full disclosure, I may know someone who is involved with Tortacos. But if I ate at a friend’s place and didn’t like it, I wouldn’t post about it on my mostly-unheard-of blog. I am only posting because Michael and me (and my brother and my food-scientist sister, and her boyfriend) really liked the place.

It was clean, it was bright, the menu was simple — in a good way. The guacamole was awesome and fresh. The salsas and taco toppings were awesome and fresh. The servings were generous. I ate the al pastor and carnitas tacos and both meats were fantastic and flavorful, although I preferred the carnitas.  The tortilla chips were made fresh, in-house. Super crispy and delicious. It would be easy to eat vegetarian (or vegan).

After we ate, we grabbed an extra serving of chips and guac to take back to our hotel since we were having visitors. They went over very well. One visitor even remarked, I don’t normally like guacamole but this is really good.

New businesses usually offer a cluttered vision but that was not the case with Tortacos. The simplicity of the menu and aesthetic really showcase the thoughtfulness put into all aspects of the venture.

I wish I were home more often, so I could eat there more often and drag more people there.  Also, I’d like to try the whole menu, especially the flan. But I’m not around very often. St. Louis is an interesting city food-wise but I’ve yet to find stellar (or even adequate)Mexican food. If you live close enough to drop into Tortacos, make sure and do so, if only because I can’t.

In conclusion: food tasty; plentiful; cheap. As Homer might say, the whole experience is “groin-grabbingly transcendent.”

Update: Here’s what Tom Sietsema, Washington Post food critic had to say.

Michael and I bought an organic butternut squash. Normally, I couldn’t care less about organic but sometimes it makes a difference. For example, regular squash (not locally grown; not organic), never do this:

That’s Michael’s hand after slicing up butternut squash. It’s dyed orange.

Roast Butternut Squash Pasta

Time: 30-60 minutes, including prep
Ease: Moderate (easy if you don’t chop up your own squash)
Cost: Cheap ($5 for four servings)

Recipe (from Michael):

This is very slightly modified from a post by a user on the Post Punk Kitchen website, that doesn’t seem to be there anymore.

1 lb pasta (we like whole wheat penne)
1 large butternut squash
2 or 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tbsp pine nuts
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt and black pepper

Cut the squash into 1/2-inch cubes and toss with oil, pine nuts, garlic, sage, and red pepper flakes. Roast in a roasting pan or foil-lined glass pan at 400°F for 30-40 minutes. Just before the squash is done roasting, cook the pasta. Mix the pasta and squash mixture, then apply salt and pepper liberally.

We use whole wheat pasta and we buy the squash and prepare it ourselves (probably takes 10-15 minutes). I don’t see a problem using squash pre-diced (often available in the produce aisle) or frozen — but it will cost more money that way.

Details: I put a green salad with this for dinner because a meal without green veggies doesn’t sit well with me. The pasta is great left over as it reheats extraordinarily well.