Jerk Spiced Tofu with West Indian Butternut Squash

I was so excited to make this recipe! My good friend, who happens to be a Vegetarian told me that some of the best Tofu she has ever gotten was from Walmart, and on her last trip she got me a block of Extra Firm Tofu and gave me this great recipe to have, and as I don't have much experience with Tofu and she joined me tonight to make sure I do it right. So rest assured, if this is your first tofu experience you and I are both Tofu Newbies, so if I can make it - so can you!  This whole recipes serves 3-4.

Jerk Spiced Tofu

12oz (1)Block Extra Firm Tofu
3TB Soy Sauce
2TB Vegetable Oil
1/4C Brown Sugar
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Medium Vidalia Onion (approx 6oz)
1tsp Ground Ginger
1tsp Dried Thyme
1/2tsp Ground Allspice
1/4tsp Pepper
1/4tsp Salt
1tsp Hot Sauce

Place the block of tofu on a stack of paper towels on top of a plate, place a few paper towels on top of the tofu and then put a small pan on top of the block of tofu/paper towels then place a few cans in the pan to weigh it down. This will help to remove excess liquid from the tofu.

Chop garlic and onion and toss all remaining ingredients together in a blender or food processor. Blend until pretty smooth - approximately 1-2 minutes depending how small you diced the garlic and onion. Set 1/4C of the marinade to the side for use with the Butternut Squash.

Remove the tofu from the paper towels and cut into 1/2" cubes and place in a bowl with the remainder of the marinade. Gently toss to coat. I made this in the morning and put in the fridge, the one piece of advice I have found to really be true with tofu is that it only gets better with longer marinading time. At a minimum let it sit for 15-20 minutes before cooking.

When you are ready to cook the tofu, heat your oven to 425º and place the tofu on a greased sheet pan and bake for 10-15 minutes.

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WW: 6 Points Plus / serving @ 4 servings

West Indian Butternut Squash

1TB Vegetable Oil
1C Vidalia Onion Chopped
1 Green Pepper Chopped
15oz Canned Diced Tomatoes, do not drain
1/2C Water
1/4C Reserved Tofu Marinade
1-2TB Curry Powder
1/4tsp Cinnamon
1/4tsp Ground Cloves
1/2tsp Salt
2-1/2lbs Butternut Squash, peeled and chopped into 3/4" Cubes

While the tofu is marinating, prepare the curried squash: Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan. Cook the onion and green pepper over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add half of the water and then all remaining ingredients except the squash, let cook for a minute or two until incorporated then stir in the squash. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the squash is fork tender, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

While the squash is simmering you can taste test the sauce and adjust seasonings to suit your tastes. If the sauce starts to get really thick you can add some more water.

We served this great meal with whole wheat pita's but you could also serve over brown rice or by itself.

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WW: 1 Points Plus / serving

Subscribing to Jillian's Kitchen is here!

Hello All!

I wanted to let you know that I have finally gotten a Subscribe option for the Blog! If you are interested in getting a daily email when there are updates to the site please click on the link under "Subscribe to Jillian's Kitchen" on the right hand side of the page.

The link will take you to a form from FeedBurner which will be delivering the daily emails. Please make sure to check your spam filters in the day or two following your subscription to make sure your notifications are not going to a Junk Folder.

I hope this works out well for all, if you have any problems with it please let me know so I can work to fix it as soon as possible. You can always send me an email at: jillianskitchen@gmail.com

And if you are interested, tonight's menu is: Jerk Spiced Tofu & West Indian Butternut Squash served over brown rice. I have the Tofu Marinading and it smells delicious!

Thanks All, hope you are continuing to enjoy the site,

Jillian

Asian Sesame Shrimp

After a night out with my Mom we were looking for a quick dinner, but that is no excuse to not have a great dinner.  Knowing we would be eating late I didn't want anything that would take more than 30-40 minutes to get from start to finish.  I planned to have roasted carrots, white rice pilaf and Asian Sesame Shrimp.  Prior to going out to dinner I thawed a pound of shrimp, removed their shells and set them to marinate in Kraft's Light Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing.

Asian Sesame Shrimp - Serves 2


1lb Thawed & Deviened Shrimp
1/3C Kraft's Light Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

As mentioned above I let the shrimp marinate for a few hours while we were out on the town! You could probably get away with a minimum 30-40 minute marinade if you don't have time to do it before hand. When you are ready to cook the shrimp toss the shrimp in a single layer on a Pam'd cookie sheet and toss in a 400° oven for 2-3 minutes. Flip the shrimp and continue to cook an additional 1-3 minutes (this will vary depending on the size of your shrimp) You want the shrimp to be completely white and pink with no gray / translucent qualities to the shrimp.

For timing I cleaned and peeled the carrots and started them roasting, then I started the rice pilaf and 5 minutes before the pilaf was done I tossed the shrimp in the oven and everything finished up at the same time.

This marinade is a great nutty Asian influenced dressing that is fantastic on the shrimp as well as chicken breast.

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WW: 7 Points Plus / serving

Vegetable Preperation Tips:

If you say "I don't like vegetables" have you tried each veggie in the following methods? because until you have tried them multiple ways how can you honestly say that you don't like it?  I thought I "didn't like" veggies until I tried some of the ways below. So remember to keep an open mind!

Raw
Boiled
Steamed
Sauteed
Fried
Roasted
in Salad
Mixed with Pasta / Rice
In Soup
Pureed
Diced
Sliced
Minced
Chopped
Mashed
Baked
Stir Fried
Grilled

One day I started to think of how many vegetables there are, I'm positive there are more than I listed here but for now here is my list of vegetables that you can try using some of the methods above.  Feel free to leave a comment with some of your favorite ways to prepare your veggies, or other veggies that have not made my list!

Onions
Bell Peppers
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Spaghetti Squash
Butternut Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Red Potatoes
Russet Potatoes
Fingerling Potatoes
Savoy Cabbage
Green Cabbage
Red Cabbage
Brussel Sprouts
Green Beans
Wax Beans
Snap Peas
Sugar Peas
Green Peas
All Lettuces
Spinach
Avocados
Artichokes
Leeks
Asparagus
Egg Plant
Carrots
Corn
Tomatoes
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Radishes
Beets
Celery Root
Parsnips
Collard Greens
Kale
Chard
Jicama
Fennel
Celeriac
Parsnips
Pumpkin
Kohlrabi
Cucumbers
Celery

Buffalo Blue Burger

Yesterday I made the stuffed peppers with half of my ground beef and instead of freezing the other 1/2lb I have decided to make burgers, but as I still have blue cheese from the Buffalo Chicken recipe I have decided to make a Buffalo Blue Burger with blue cheese & fried onions. A simple mid week recipe that is easy to make after work.

Buffalo Blue Burger - Makes 2 Burgers

1/2 lb Ground Beef (I am using 93% beef)
3TB Blue Cheese Crumbles
3-4 Shakes Worcestershire Sauce
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
3-4 Shakes Hot Sauce
1/2 Egg - Scrambled
Salt & Pepper
1 Onion
1tsp Olive Oil

Mix all ingredients except onion and olive oil together and form into 2 patties. To separate an egg into 1/2 an egg scramble in a cup and pour in half of the mix. Pan Fry or Grill the burger, as I do not have a grill I will be pan frying my burgers, first over medium heat for a minute, then I turn it down to medium heat. I like to incorporate the blue cheese crumbles into the meat so each bite gets cheese and I don't have to worry about it falling off the burger when I try to add it in the last few minutes.

Taste Tip: If you are unsure if you have had added enough spices to the meat, prior to cooking make a small 1/4" ball of the mixture and microwave it for about 20-30 seconds until it is cooked through. This will give you a little taste test to let you know if you need to add a little more spice to your burger or if it is good as is. This is a great way to test meat balls, burgers and meatloaf.

While the burgers are frying up toss some thinly sliced onions in olive oil and saute. When finished you can add to the top of your burger and enjoy!

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WW: 5 Points Plus / serving

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I love Brussel Sprouts - words that never would of come out of my mouth just 3 short years ago. I grew up with boiled frozen brussel sprouts and I didn't like the smell or consistency, well a few years ago I was at a dinner and grilled brussel sprouts were on the menu, I said to myself "You will eat these, you will pretend you like them and you will smile while eating them". Imagine my surprise when I not only took a bite with that fake smile plastered on my face, but I enjoyed them, I craved more! I found that grilled they got this great char and turned into a nutty cabbage with a little sea salt sprinkled on top. A week later I found myself in the grocery store picking fresh brussel sprouts out of the veggie bins! Now unfortunately living in an apartment I do not have access to a grill, so I have opted to roast my brussel sprouts - I promise they are just as good!

Brussel Sprouts: Serves 2-3

1lb Fresh Brussel Sprouts
1TB Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Pepper

Rinse & Dry your brussel sprouts, removing any brown leaves. I always try to pick out brussel sprouts that are of the same size, if you happen to have a mix of large and small you will want to slice the large ones in half or quarters so they are of a similar size to the small ones and will cook at the same rate. Place cut & cleaned sprouts in a mixing bowl, add olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly. Arrange on a Pam'd cookie sheet in a single layer and bake at 350° for approximately 30 minutes - flipping every 15 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on the size of your brussel sprouts.

I am quite satisfied with my brussel sprouts in the olive oil and salt and pepper, but some people like to drizzle some Balsamic Vinegar over them in the last few minutes to give them an extra pop of flavor. Feel free to experiment with your favorite seasonings, sometimes I like to use Crazy Janes Salt mix which also has some garlic and onion powders in it giving a different flavor profile.

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WW: 1 Points Plus / serving

Stuffed Peppers

Tonight I am using some basic ingredients and left over rice pilaf from
last night to make great stuffed peppers.  This recipe will serve 4, or 2 really hungry folks for very little money with items that are most likely standard in your refrigerator. I think this recipe is a major success, it is filling, healthy and most importantly flavor packed.

Stuffed Peppers Serves 2-4

2 Bell Peppers
1/2lb Ground Beef (I use 93% beef)
2-3 Shakes Garlic & Onion Powder
4-6 Shakes Worcestershire Sauce
1tsp Olive Oil
1tsp Minced Garlic
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
1tsp Parsley
1tsp Oregano
1tsp Basil
Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
1/3 of Rice Pilaf (see yesterday's post) If you do not have this you can cook 1/3C of rice in 2/3C of chicken broth then add to this recipe)
Salt & Pepper
1.5oz Monteray Jack Cheese

Step 1:
In a saute pan brown the beef over medium heat while browning add salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder, drain and return to the pan, add Worcestershire sauce and stir, letting cook an additional 30 seconds. Remove to a small bowl.

Step 2:
In the same saute pan you cooked the beef add olive oil and garlic and saute for 30 seconds, add the can of tomatoes - liquid and all, parsely, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer for 2 minutes - add rice pilaf and let the rice absorb the majority of the tomato juice. Return beef to the pan and incorporate and let cook an additional minute or two. Turn off the heat and set to the side.

Step 3:
Slice bell peppers in half through the stem, remove stem & seeds. Brush the inside of the pepper with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Scoop 1/4 of the filling into each pepper half. Place peppers in a pie plate or 8x8 pan. Gently add water around the peppers in the pan, you only need 1/4" or so - just enough that the water can help to cook the peppers in the oven.

Place the pan in a 400° oven for 15 minutes. While they are in the oven, shred cheese. Remove the pan after 15 minutes, add cheese and return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes to melt.

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WW: 10 Points Plus / serving @ 2 servings
5 Points Plus / serving @ 4 servings