Monday, March 31, 2008

Tofu Omelette Strips with Roasted Salsa

This one takes a little bit of time but it is totally worth it. Plus, it is a very nice looking dish that is perfect for impressing your friends at your next fiesta.

Omelette Strips
- 1 double recipe of Susan's vegan omelette
Note: I changed the recipe slightly. I am not sure this made any difference. The strips were pretty durable, but it could be because I cooked them for a while. I added 2 tbsp instant tapioca, and began the recipe by first soaking the tapioca for 10 mins in 4 tbsp soy milk (up from the 2 tbsp the recipe calls for). Once soft, I added the rest of the ingredients and blended.

METHOD
1. Heat a non-stick frying pan over med-lo heat. When hot, spray with cooking oil and spread one fourth of the omelette mixture as thinly as possible on the pan. Cook until sides begin to dry up a bit and you are able to flip the omelette (about 3-4 mins). Flip and cook other side for another 3-4 mins. You want to make sure the omelette is completely cooked through, so lower the heat if it is getting too brown. Remove from heat and cool. Repeat with remaining mixture.
2. Once cool, cut into strips.

Roasted Salsa
While you are cooking the omelette you can make the salsa
- 4 ripe plum tomatoes
- 6 cloves of garlic, skins on
- 2 onions, sliced in half, skins left on
- 1-2 whole fresh jalapeno peppers
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 tbsp tomato paste

METHOD
1. Heat a heavy (cast iron) skillet over medium heat. When hot, add whole tomatoes, turning to let the skins roast/lightly char. When uniformly roasted, remove from pan and let cool.
2. Add garlic, onions, and peppers to the pan and roast. Be careful to keep the garlic moving/rotating so it does not burn. Flip the onions and peppers occasionally as well. When roasted, remove from pan.
3. Remove skins from onions and garlic, slice and de-seed the pepper, and roughly chop the lot. Chop tomatoes as well and place it all into a food processor. Pulse to a chunky puree.
4. Pour mixture into a saucepan and add spices. Bring to bubbling, then add enough tomato paste to get the consistency you want. Let simmer for as long as you can, and adjust seasonings before serving.

To assemble to dish: make a "nest" of strips on a plate and top with a generous amount of warm salsa. Garnish with cilantro and serve. If you want, reheat the strips a bit first in the microwave, or on a warm skillet.