Dau Sot Ca Chua: My American-ized, Vegan Take on a Vietnamese Dish

Photo Courtesy of Photography by David L. Clark

 
One day several weeks ago I googled "tofu and tomato sauce" and found a few different versions of this Vietnamese fried tofu in tomato sauce recipe. I'm not really all that good at sticking to a recipe. That's way too orthodox for my cooking style (unless I'm baking, because that involves chemical reactions, which I understand and respect the importance of precision of)! So I made some changes, obviously omitting the fish fish sauce to make it vegan, substituting organic tamari for that and adding garlic because I really can't help it. I have to use garlic. I also decided to serve it over a bed of steamed cabbage, because I had a crap ton of it, and because tomato sauce and cabbage = delicious.

This dish has made it's way into our regular rotation of recipes, and we eat it at least once a week. Before trying this, I honestly wasn't a huge fan of tofu (also, organic tofu makes a huge difference, for me personally, it doesn't taste like absolutely everything has been processed the hell out). I highly recommend shopping around for tofu and trying different brands to see what you like best. This weekend while we were jaunting around Seattle (more on that tomorrow) I saw a place in the international district that sold fresh, handmade tofu (!!!). Blah, blah, blah, irrelevant stuff.

Ingredients:
1 package extra firm tofu (1lb.)
5 medium tomatoes
3 tablespoons tamari (shoyu is fine too)
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups shredded cabbage + 1 tablespoon olive oil
Green onions for garnish, about 1 per serving

Instructions:
1. Press the tofu to remove excess moisture. Do this by wrapping the block in a clean, lint free, kitchen towel and sandwiching between two plates. Do so for at least 20 minutes.
2. Cut the tofu into pieces, I cut them into about 1 inch cubes.
3. Pour oil into a pan small enough to have it be at least 1/2 inch deep, and heat over low-medium heat until a single piece of tofu dropped in deep fries on contact.
4. Fry all of the tofu this way and put into a glass or metal bowl covered with foil to keep it warm.
5. Cut the tomatoes. I first cut them into eighths, and then cut those in half. Then toss them into the leftover oil from the tofu. Immediately add the chopped garlic, tamari/soy sauce, and sugar. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
6. While that cooks down steam/sautée the cabbage in oil.
7. Put the tofu into the pan with the tomato sauce and stir to coat. Cook an additional 5 minutes. Add water, tablespoons at a time to the tomato sauce if it becomes too thick ( I haven't had to add water to mine).
8. Serve over cabbage, or steamed rice if you like, both would even be good, and topped with thinly sliced green onions.

Presently

Photo courtesy of Photography by David L. Clark

This is my attempt at a fun post modeled after Danielle of Sometimes Sweet's Currently. feature. That lady has so much talent for writing and passion for her life, and I seriously admire her. Plus her kid is stinkin' cute! Here it goes...

Watching: a regular rotation of Nashville (who isn't watching it, it's strangely addicting even with the auto tuning and divas), Parenthood which my husband and I have watched from the very beginning and always makes me cry, and Grey's Anatomy with all the dark and twisty turns. We also watch Mad Men on occasion when there aren't new episodes of our other favorites. I think we're on season 3 right now. Every time we watch it I want to browse ModCloth for midcentury fashion and listen to the swing, standards, and crooners. We are also excited about watching some holiday movies, Elf and Home Alone being at the top of the list. Oh, and we just watched Leon the Professional, Natalie Portman's breakthrough role. I guess we sit in front of the screen more than I'd like to admit, but what else do broke folks do?

Listening To: right now, as in while I type, I'm listening to a Little Hurricane session on Audiotree. I've also been listening heavily to Ben Gibbard's solo album Former Lives, A Fine Frenzy's PINES along with the accompanying video, A Very She & Him Christmas, and David listens to Mumford and Sons A LOT (not complaining). Lorelei is digging Sucré, because it's her kind of dance music.

Planning: our weekend. My dad will be in town for the NFL PPK competition he has volunteered to work at for the past 7 or 8 years. He loves it because it means he gets to see a Seahawks game and have a mini vacation. He's only here for two full days with not a ton of free time, so we'll be going to dinner at Plum Bistro, a vegan restaurant in Capitol Hill and hanging out with him downtown. We really want to squeeze in going to Kerry Park so David can photograph the iconic Seattle skyline view. I'm also planning our christmas menu and trying to figure out how to decorate our tree without spending money.  So far I think food wise we're going to go nontraditional and make homemade thai food (!!!). As for decorating, David found clear string lights in the trash when we moved here last February, I grabbed some paint chips from Lowe's to string and hang for color, and I want to scavenge some pine cones to paint the edges of.

Thinking About: How I need to filter my language/behaviors/reactions better. I've been noticing how much Lorelei is picking up on them and feeling that she can act and speak the way I do when she's upset. The other night when she was not going to bed, every time I put her in her crib she was screaming "Damn it, Mommy. Come here," and that was eye opening for me because it's something she obviously picked up from me. I haven't always used strong language or reacted strongly to things she does, but she's a toddler now, very near two, and there seems to be less time when she's not doing something to push my buttons than not. That sounds like me making excuses, and it kind of is, I'm just growing more and more exhausted with all the lack of sleep, her busy-ness, and never, ever having a break from her. I am with her 24/7 with no other company or activities. We're both bored and under stimulated and we're both growing weary of each other.

Reading: gardening books and cookbooks. I really, really love cookbooks. We recently acquired Veganomicon, that I have tried two recipes from and loved. I'm also currently digging Pure Vegan, which I checked out from our local library and can't wait to own someday. It has beautiful photos and the recipes are organized by time of day. I'll be sharing a recipe I love from it this week! I've also been putting a bunch of books on hold at the library, I think sometimes I check out more than I can feasibly read or look at before they are due. I just get so excited about books. Like, I've been trying to read The Idle Parent for almost 2 months and I just have so much else I want to do all the time I forget about reading it.

Making Me Happy: life in general, despite how I seem to complain. I feel pretty content lately, as in I'm comfortable with the life I have and not really in a place where I'm constantly wishing for change. I feel like I'm getting better at living in the now and it's really liberating to not always be thinking about or hoping for whatever is next. I've stopped stressing out about how much Lorelei still wants to nurse and am letting go of notions I had of weaning her on my time. I no longer mope about my physical appearance (read: 15 pounds I still need want to lose from pregnancy) because I realize that changing it is completely in my hands, and that I can do it if I just try. I've been going to the gym whenever I get a chance and doing between 2 and 3 miles of interval training on the elliptical. Doing this makes me feel good, and I've lost 5 pounds in the last 2 weeks.

Other things I've been up to or enjoying this week: Bekah's post on water conservation. Drooling over these adorable and obscenely priced kids clothes. Conversations with Birdie. Looking at cute cases for my hand me down iPhone 1/ & 2/. This gorgeous blog and this post on meditating with children. Oh, thanks to Kelly Ann for sharing this design she did for this blog that I am really digging. And the Totally Awesome Blog Hop, giving bloggers like myself a chance to connect with other bloggers and bring in more audience. :)

What are you up to lately?

Leeky Irish Stew + Skillet Cornbread

Photo courtesy of Photography by David L. Clark.

Here is a recipe that makes it's way into our dinner menu frequently enough I thought I should share. The idea for this recipe struck when I decided it was about time I purchased and tried some leeks. I perused Pinterest for soup recipes and was disappointed that they were all creamy and pureed soups. Not that I dislike that sort of soup (I actually get on kicks where I make some variety at least once a week), I was just looking for something more substantial. I was looking for comfort food, and I was missing things like corned beef and cabbage and ground beef with cabbage (favorite meals while living at home and before becoming vegan).

Cabbage is one of my absolute favorite vegetables, of all time. It's the trace amounts of Irish blood running through my muttley veins. So, I knew that my soup needed cabbage. And potatoes for heartiness. Then, carrots for color, because I believe in colorful food. So this is what I came up with. It's pretty simple, pretty delicious, and will feed an army. In fact, if you don't like having leftover soup to eat for days I would consider halving the recipe.

Soup Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 leeks, thinly sliced pale parts
3 tablespoons of olive oil
3 medium potatoes, cut to your size preference with or without skins
1/2 head of cabbage, cut
1 large carrot, sliced rounds
8 cups vegetable stock
4 cups water
Sprig of thyme
Bay leaf
Salt and pepper

1. Add olive oil, sliced leeks, and garlic to a 5 qt or larger pot and heat on medium high heat until softened and fragrant.
2. Toss in the potatoes, carrots, bay leaf and thyme and cover with all 8 cups of stock. Cook on med-high heat for about 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
3. Once the potatoes are tender add the cabbage and 4 cups of water, stir well to combine, and let cook another 5-10 minutes.
4. Salt and pepper to taste.

Photo courtesy of Photography by David L. Clark.

The cornbread is the second vegan cornbread recipe I have tried and it will definitely be my go to for easy and scrumptious dinner bread in a pinch. The recipe is from Veganomicon, and mostly unmodified (save my flavor additions).
Makes 8 big slices, that you'll devour whether you're still hungry or not, at least that's what I did.

Cornbread Ingredients:
2 cups plain soy milk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 cups cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar (okay, here I used 1/8 cup agave nectar because my sugar canister is near empty)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly oil the bottom and sides of cast iron pan (you can make this in a 9"x13" baking pan if you don't have an oven safe skillet). Preheat the oven with the pan inside.
2. Combine soy milk and vinegar in a measuring cup/small bowl and set aside to curdle while you prepare everything else. This is a vegan substitute for buttermilk.
3. In a large mixing bowl sift or mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Create a well in the center and add the soy milk mixture and oil. Use a wooden spoon to mix until just combined, lumps are okay. This may seem a little liquid-y for a bread batter, but it's a moist bread so it's okay.
4. Pour the batter into the heated skillet and bake for about 30 minutes, until inserted fork/knife/toothpick comes out clean.
5. Let cool a bit before slicing and serving.

My variation was to add one clove of finely minced garlic and a pinch of finely chopped fresh thyme (still trying to use it up from Thanksgiving). It gave a very subtle amount of flavor to the bread.

When corn is in season, I'll sauté some of that to throw in!