Peach Blueberry Cobbler

I'll have to admit that cobbler really isn't in my culinary vocabulary. That is probably because my Mom was more of a crisp person. Or is it because cobbler is more of an American thing? Anyway, after making the Southern Tofu dish I was in the mood for an appropriately southern dessert and cobbler jumped to mind. But, what is cobbler, exactly? Correct me if I am wrong, but from what I can tell, it is a mix of fruit and cake, baked into moist and syrupy goodness. In many way, it is like the pudding cakes I posted a while back. Peaches and blueberries are in season here (though not for long) so it was a perfect dessert.

INGREDIENTS
Fruit
- 4 cups peeled and sliced peaches
- 1/3 cup water (more if peaches are not that ripe)
- 1 cup sugar
Cake
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour (I am sure WW pastry flour would work fine)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups soy milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract

- 1/2 cup margarine
- 1 cup blueberries

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Put peaches, sugar, and water in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to bubbling, stirring regularly, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 mins.
2. While peaches are simmering, whisk together dry ingredients. Place 1/2 cup margarine in a 9 x 13 pan, then place in the oven to melt. Put wet ingredients into the dry and gently whisk until mostly smooth (like pancake batter).
3. Pour batter over the melted butter, but do not mix. Sprinkle blueberries over that, then spoon the peach mixture over that.
4. Bake for 40-45 mins, until top is golden and peaches are bubbling away happily. Serve while warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

Southern Tofu on a Corn Cake

I can't help myself, I have made this twice already this week! It's really just a version of my Memphis BBQ Tofu, but with fresh garden ingredients that give it a more refined and delightful taste. It is sweet and sour with a touch of hot, and goes perfectly with the hearty and slightly sweet corn cake below. I served this with a side of greens and some fresh garden produce. The corn cakes are from the August 2010 issues of VegNews (anyone see me listed on the last page as a Top Ten blog?) and are only adapted slightly because I did not have all the ingredients.

Southern Tofu
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pkg firm tofu, diced
- 2 tbsp margarine
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 green pepper, small dice
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp mustard
- hot sauce to taste
- 1/4 cup ketchup (more as needed)
- salt to taste
- chopped parsley to garnish

METHOD
Prepare tofu however you see fit. You could leave it raw, but I fry it up in a touch of oil over med-hi heat, turning regularly to get a nice golden colour on each side and to give it a more chewy texture.
1. Heat margarine and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 10-12 mins, stirring regularly, until beginning to get golden on the edges. Add garlic and cook 1 min, then add green pepper and cook 2-3 mins, until starting to soften.
2. Add bourbon to the pan and mix well, letting it cook down a bit (just a min or two). Add brown sugar and bring to bubbling. Let cook for 2 mins.
3. Add vinegar, lemon juice, tomatoes, paprika, mustard, and hot sauce. Bring to bubbling, then reduce heat, and let simmer for about 5 mins, letting tomatoes cook down a bit. Add ketchup to thicken, and season to taste. Add tofu back to the pan and stir to coat. Cook a few mins to heat tofu back up and absorb some sauce. Serve over corn cake and garnish with parsley.

Corn Cakes
Makes 6
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp ground flax seed
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp boiling water
- 1 tbsp canola oil

METHOD
Heat a thin layer of oil in a frying pan over medium to med-hi heat
1. Whisk cornmeal, baking powder, flax, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add boiling water and mix until just moistened. Add canola and stir to incorporate. The batter will thicken a bit as the cornmeal absorbs more water, so add more water if needed.
2. Spoon equal portions of batter into the hot oil, and press into patties. (This is what the original recipe calls for, but I actually found it easier to wet my hands and pat the dough/batter into patties). Cook for 2-3 mins each side, until golden, then drain on paper.

Super Easy Southern Tofu

This is a quick and simple version of my Memphis BBQ Tofu recipe. I have really been slacking off on the winter BBQing this year, and I am pretty sure I am out of propane. I guess I am getting old and timid because in years past I have had no problem shovelling a path to the BBQ to grill up tasty food and dream of summer. The meal started with Peter Reinhart's corn bread (recipe coming in my next post) and I felt I needed some southern flavours to go with it. I had bought some collard greens earlier in the week so I cooked whipped up this recipe (but cooked them for about an hour). And, I made this tofu.

INGREDIENTS

Dry Rub

- 4 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt

- 1 tsp seasoned salt
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- cayenne pepper to taste

- 1 pkg extra firm tofu, cut into 8 slices
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1/3 cup Jack Daniels
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- dash of hot sauce

METHOD
1. Combine rub ingredients. Roll each tofu slice in rub until coated. Set aside.
2. Heat oil on med to med hi in a large frying pan. Fry tofu for a few mins on each side, until nicely browned. Add more oil, if needed. Remove from pan.
3. Add Jack Daniels to pan and let reduce a bit. Add remaining ingredient and mix well. Bring to bubbling and let thicken. Add tofu and turn to coat. Serve.

Memphis BBQ Tofu

The quest to redefine BBQ continues! When I posted my ultimate BBQ tofu recipe, Justin suggested that I also try using a dry rub a la southern BBQ. Tonight I took him up on the offer and I am glad I did. This tofu is absolutely bursting with flavour and was enjoyed by young and old. I will leave it to Justin and my friend John P. to school me in the ways of Memphis BBQ and tell me if I got it right.

INGREDIENTS

Dry Rub

- 4 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt

- 1 tsp seasoned salt
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- cayenne pepper to taste

BBQ Sauce

- 1 recipe sweet and sticky BBQ sauce, replacing the water with 1/4 apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup Jack Daniels (I also strained the onions out before BBQing)

- 1 pkg extra firm tofu, cut in 8 slices

METHOD

1. Combine ingredients for dry rub (it will make about 2x more than you need, so store the rest for next time). Rub all sides of the tofu with about half of the mixture and let sit for at least 30 mins.

2. Heat half of the grill to high heat. Oil the grill and grill tofu for a few mins per side to get some nice grill marks and to make the outside golden and crispy.

3. Move tofu to the other side of the grill (i.e. the one that is off) and spoon thick layer of BBQ sauce over top. Close the top and cook for 5 mins. Flip tofu over and repeat. You can serve it now, or you can sauce it again.

Southern-Style BBQ Tofu Burger

I say "southern-style" because I am fairly sure that no one south of the Mason-Dixon line actually eats anything like this. This dish just kind of came together on the fly and I was happy with the result. I knew the kids would totally freak out if I made them eat greens on anything that looked like a burger, so I let them eat them on the side. They still did not thank me.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 8

- hamburger buns

- 1 recipe southern-style greens (I left the stalks on this time for some crunch, and opted out of the onions)

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1 Vidalia onion, halved and sliced

- hot sauce to taste

- 1 pkg extra firm tofu, cut in half vertically, then each half sliced into 4 pieces horizontally

- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (more if needed)

METHOD

1. Get your greens cooking.

2. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat and saute onions for 5-7 mins, until nicely browned. Douse with as much hot sauce as suits your fancy, mix well, and remove from pan.

3. Add a bit more oil to the pan and fry tofu for a few mins each side, until golden brown. Add BBQ sauce to the pan and simmer until sauce is nice and thick (5-7 mins) , turning tofu regularly.

4. To make the sandwiches, place a slice of tofu on a bun, top with some onions, and then some greens. Add whatever fixin's suit your fancy (I just put some Vegenaise on the top bun), and eat!

Southern Style Greens

We all know that dark leafy greens are awesome for you. Kale always ranks at the top of the list as a super veggie. This month's Nutrition Action newsletter reminded me of this fact with their veggie chart. I must admit, though, that I am always a bit stumped when it comes to finding exciting ways to serve greens. Simple steaming or sauteing always results in a chorus of "eeewwwws"from the kids. And sometimes I go crazy and cook them with a few splashes of white wine and lemon juice. This recipe, however, are by far the tastiest method of serving greens I have come across yet. And the kids like them! I used swiss chard because it cooks quickly, but you could use kale or collards as well.

INGREDIENTS

- 2 tbsp margarine

- 1 red onion, small dice

- 1 garlic cloves minced

- 1 bunch swiss chard, tough stems removed, roughly chopped

- 1 tsp hot sauce

- seasoned salt to taste

- pepper to taste

- splash of liquid smoke

METHOD

1. Heat margarine in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic for 5 mins, until softened.

2. Add swiss chard and cook until tender, stirring regularly. When cooked, add hot sauce, season to taste with seasoned salt and pepper, and stir in liquid smoke. Serve.

Chicken Fried Seitan

The last of the seitan went into tonight's southern-inspired meal. I had a similar dish in a restaurant in Philly and recreated it at home.

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 cup canola oil

- 2 cups bread crumbs

- salt, pepper, nutritional yeast flakes (optional)

- 6 slices of seitan, or seitan cutlets

- 2 cups plain soymilk

- 1 tsp lemon juice

- 4 tbsp margarine

- 2 tbsp flour

- 2 cups soymilk

- 1 tsp lemon juice

- 1/2 tsp salt, white pepper

- 1 tsp dried rosemary, chopped

TIP! If you don't have breadcrumbs, process some cornflakes in the blender.

METHOD:

1. Heat oil in frying pan in med-hi.

2. Put bread crumbs in a medium bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast flakes if desired.

3. Put soymilk in another medium bowl. Stir in lemon juice until soymilk thickens.

4. Dip seitan cutlet in soymilk mixture, then roll in breadcrumbs, then back in the soymilk, then coat again in crumbs.

5. Fry for 4-5 mins per side, until golden brown. Drain on paper towel.

1. Melt margarine on medium in a saucepan.

2. Whisk in flour, and continue to whisk until light brown.

3. Slowly whisk in soymilk and lemon juice. Bring to a slow boil, until mixture thickens.

4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add rosemary.

Spoon gravy over seitan cutlet and serve.

(I did not have any rosemary in the cupboard, so I used tarragon and parsely. Not as good, but passable.)

VERDICT:

Clean plates all around!