Hot and Spicy Soup for a Cold Night

One of the tricky things about my business is coming up with a full menu. When I am cooking for my own family, I usually just plan the main course, perhaps a side of steamed broccoli (my favorite vegetable), and a simple salad. On rare occasions, it's just a main. Or a very simple side. For example, one night this coming week we are going to have Mixed Bell Pepper Quesadillas. I will most likely make guacamole, but other than that will just probably heat up some re-fried beans and make sure there is plenty of salsa.

For my paying clients though, I need to make more of an effort. I charge them for each component of the meal, so I can't in good conscience give them steamed broccoli. Sometimes the three courses just come to me and sometimes I have to scramble to put a menu together that works. This doesn't mean that each course is a show-stopper - I do have time constraints - but I would like to think that each one is something that they wouldn't necessarily make for themselves.

Before I started cooking for clients, I always thought of soup as more a main course dish. But as I saw the need to vary my menus, and to come up with interesting and innovative side dishes, I started making many more soups. If they are not a main course, I tend to keep them relatively simple. I feature one vegetable, or make them nice and light, or - as in the case with this soup - nice and brothy. I was looking for something flavorful, hot, and spicy to serve with the Red Curry last week. I remembered that I had made this soup once before and was very pleased with it. It turned out to be a great choice for a cold night.

Tome Yum Soup with Mushrooms and Tofu
Adapted from Real Vegetarian Thai
Serves 4-6

You can make this soup much more substantial by adding rice or rice noodles to individual portions.

6 cups vegetable stock
3 large stalks lemongrass
Zest and juice of 2 limes
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 fresh jalapeno chili, diced
8 ounces extra firm tofu, cut into 1 inch chunks
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp. roasted chili paste
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. salt

Zest the limes and set aside the zest. Place the jalapeno and green onions in a small bowl and squeeze the juice of the limes over. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, bring the vegetable stock to a boil. Meanwhile, trip the lemongrass stalks. Cut away and discard any hard, dried root portions, leaving a smooth, flat base just below the bulb. Trim away the tops so the stalks are about 6 inches in length. Using the blunt edge of a knife, bruise each stalk, whacking it firmly at 2 inch intervals and rolling it over to bruise on all sides. Cut into 2 inch lengths.

When the stock is boiling, add the lemongrass and the lime zest and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the stock is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Scoop out the lemongrass from the stock and discard it (it's ok if some of the zest comes along for the ride). Raise the heat to high and add the tofu, mushrooms, chili paste, sugar, soy sauce, and salt and stir well. When the soup boils again, turn the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook for another 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the cover and add the green onion mixture. Taste and adjust the flavors with more lime juice, soy, or sugar as needed.

Winter Vegetable Thai Curry

The year we lived in London, we ate in some really fantastic restaurants. We also explored cuisines that are not all that available to us here in Seattle. I always knew that I liked Indian food but fell head over heels in love with it while living there. Middle Eastern food too. I can't tell you how much I miss the multitude of places where I could eat dips, felafel, fantastic breads, and vegetable dishes to my heart's content. The one thing we missed while living there was Thai food. I tried it a few different places in London, some of them very fancy, and it never was very good.

We are fortunate to have a plethra of great Thai places in Seattle. In an approximate one mile radius of our house, there are no fewer than 8 Thai restaurants, some pretty good and some really good. It is our go-to meal for Friday night take-out and I crave it on an even more regular basis. Because my Asian food-hating clients (who are the same as my mushroom-hating clients) are out of town again tonight, I thought I would make it for the others.

For this dinner, I turned to the sweetest little cookbook. Real Vegetarian Thai was written by a woman who spent two years in Thailand in the Peace Corps. She includes copious notes with each recipe telling you how the Thais would serve it and substitutions that can be made. She also tells you what can be done in advance which always wins extra points with me. All of this is done in a un-pretentious friendly voice that is a joy to read. The recipes I have made (and there have been many of them) have turned out great. Tonight's menu included Tome Yum Soup with Mushrooms and Tofu, Red Curry with Winter Vegetables and Cashews, Coconut Rice, and Cucumber Salad.

For the curry recipe, you actually make your own curry paste. In a pinch you can, of course, substitute store-bought, but if you are a vegetarian, read the label carefully. Many of them contain dried shrimp. Making the paste really doesn't take all that much time and it makes a healthy amount. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month. Perfect for the next time you want red curry! I followed the paste recipe quite closely but with the finished dish, I made a lot of changes.

Red Curry with Winter Vegetables and Cashews
Adapted from Real Vegetarian Thai
Serves 4 generously

1 can unsweetened coconut milk (DN: I used reduced fat)
2 or 3 tbsp. red curry paste (recipe follows)
Vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
8 oz. extra firm tofu, drained, patted dry, and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup vegetable stock
1 1/2 pounds assorted winter vegetables such as squash, sweet potatoes, carrots and/or
parsnips, everything cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1 tbsp. light brown sugar
1 tsp. soy sauce
3/4 cup salted, dry-roasted cashews
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Shake the coconut milk can well. Spoon out 1/3 cup into a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to release its fragrance. Add the curry paste and cook for about 3 more minutes, mashing the paste into the coconut milk.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Add enough vegetable oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan, then add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 8 minutes.

Add the chopped winter vegetables and saute for another 5 minutes. Add the curry mixture, the rest of the coconut milk, the stock, soy sauce, and sugar and bring to a boil. Give it a good stir, then reduce the heat to simmer and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.

Just before serving, add the cashews and cilantro. Serve over rice.

Red Curry Paste
Adapted from Real Vegetarian Thai
Makes about 1 cup

McDermott suggests using chilies de arbol here which are finger-length and quite spicy. I didn't have any on hand so I used Guajillo chiles which are much less spicy.

20 dried chilies de arbol
1 tbsp. whole coriander seeds
1 tsp. whole cumin seeds
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 stalks lemongrass
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup coarsely chopped shallots
2 tbsp. coarsely chopped garlic
1 tbsp. coarsely chopped peeled fresh ginger
Zest of 1 small lime
1 tsp. salt

Stem the chilies and shake out and discard the seeds. Break into large pieces. Place the chilies in a small bowl, add warm water to cover, and set aside to soften for about 20 minutes.

In a small skillet over medium heat, dry-fry the coriander and cumin seeds until they are fragrant, about 3 minutes. Allow to cool, then grind in a coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle.

To prepare the lemongrass, trim away and discard any root section below the bulb base, and cut away the top portion, leaving a stalk about 6 inches long, including the base. Remove the outer layer of "skin", then finely chop the stalks.

Drain the chilies and combine them with the lemongrass, ground spices, and the remaining ingredients in a mini food processor or a blender. Pour in 2 tbsp. of water and combine to a fairly smooth puree. You may need to add more water to keep the blades moving. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to one month.

How My Business Works

I've written here about how I became a personal chef and I've written here and there a bit about my clients, but I realized I haven't described the nuts and bolts of my little business.

I currently have three permanent clients and one temporary one. They are all couples and I cook for them on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Before I had my second son, I cooked for them on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, but my older son took two longs naps a day until he was 2 years old and went to bed every night at 6pm and woke up around 8. Those days are no longer and while both my boys nap at the same time (which is the ONLY reason I can even keep this business going), I have a lot less free time to cook. Two days a week it will have to be until we have more preschool in place.

For each meal, I bring them an entree and usually two sides. Occasionally there are other components to the meal (like chutney and raita if I were making Indian food). Tuesday is the day I bring the "treat". Everything is made 100% from scratch and is all vegetarian. I would say about 25% of the time the food is vegan, but the "treat" never is.

I cook everything in my kitchen and divvy it all up into plastic containers. I get everything as ready as it can be and deliver it to their homes with a handwritten note explaining the night's menu and any last minute prep the food needs. Some nights it is as easy as popping stuff in the microwave and tossing a salad, other nights something will need to go into the oven or a little more prep will be involved. On my next visit, I pick up all my empty containers - I have quite a collection!

Because the meals I make are fairly involved, I use Mondays and Wednesdays as prep days. I almost always bake on Mondays and I will do any prep work possible in advance, even if it is just chopping vegetables. I find (and this is good advice for dinner parties too) that any little thing you can do in advance, from making the salad dressing to taking the leaves off parsley, will make your food prep the day of that much easier.

Since I tend to be busy prepping on Mondays and Wednesdays, our dinners those nights are a little simpler. Last week I was glancing through one of my favorite cookbooks, Real Vegetarian Thai, looking for a curry paste recipe to send to Beatrice at Ginger Beat. I love this cookbook - it is written by a woman who spent two years in Thailand while in the Peace Corps, and all recipes come with some kind of back story and lots of thoughtful tips. I decided to make a quick rice noodle soup with some lemongrass stock I had in the freezer and a salad with this incredible dressing.

The dressing comes from the New York Times and it tastes exactly like that perfect one you get at sushi restaurants. It is incredibly simple to make, it makes a lot, it lasts for a week in the refrigerator, and it is so nice and thick that it can also be used as a dip. I can also imagine it spooned over tofu, or even over soba noodles. It is so good, I was tempted to eat it straight from the jar - a desire I have never experienced for salad dressing!

Before the recipe, let's talk about miso. There are several different types of miso - white being the most mellow in flavor. It is often kept in the produce section of your grocery store, or where you would normally find tofu. You will end up buying more than you need for this recipe but, if you keep plastic pressed directly on top of the miso once it is opened, it will keep for a year in your refrigerator. And you will want to make this dressing again!

Miso Carrot Sauce
From The New York Times
Makes 1 1/4 cup

The salad I made for this dressing had butter lettuce, thinly sliced mushrooms, halved cherry tomatoes, and chunks of avocado.

1/4 cup peanut or grapeseed oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tbsp. white miso
1 tbsp. dark sesame oil
2 medium carrots
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and cut into coins

Put all ingredients into food processor and pulse to mince carrots. Let machine run for 1 minute, until mixture is chunky-smooth.

Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Asian Food

Do you have someone in your life that doesn't like something and you are convinced you can make them think otherwise? If you have read this blog, you know my dear husband Randy doesn't like beets which kills me because I love them. Every time I make them or order them in a restaurant, I make him try one. There is some evidence that supports the fact that your tastes do change and that you should try "dislikes" periodically to see if that has indeed happened. (At least, that is what I tell Randy.) He tried one last Friday night and swallowed it with great difficulty.

My brother Alex, who eats just about everything, does not like mushrooms or artichoke hearts. But that list used to include olives and about 10 years ago, he had a Eureka! moment and discovered that he loved olives. So there is hope for mushrooms and artichoke hearts. And beets for Randy.

My client Mark told me he doesn't like Asian food. Now, this is a little trickier than beets because it encompasses an entire continent. When asked to clarify, he said he doesn't like stir-fries. What does that mean exactly? I will need to do some further investigation. I have been steering away from Asian food since his confession but the truth is, I really miss it. Put me on a desert island and my first choice would be french fries. My second choice would be rice noodles with lots of tofu with, perhaps, a Thai curry sauce.

So, last night I decided enough was enough and made something I thought would be perhaps pass muster with him. I made Baked Spring Rolls with a Soy Dipping Sauce, Spinach Salad with Asian Pears and a Peanut Dressing and Soba Noodles with Tofu and Bok Choy. Nothing was stir-fried. No wok was used in the cooking of this food.

The noodle dish is the kind of thing I crave, nice and savory with lots of interesting flavors going on - lots of ginger and spice. The balance of starch (from the soba) protein, and green vegetable is very satisfying. Even so, as I was eating it last night I said to Randy, "Mark is going to hate this."

Notes on ingredients: You should be able to find everything you don't already have easily in the Asian section of your grocery store. Rice vinegar is sometimes kept in the aisle with the other oils and vinegars. Soba Noodles always surprise me with how much you get out of them. They usually come in 8.8 ounce packages. Buy two for this recipe and just know that you will probably have some noodles left over. Trader Joe's has great extra-firm tofu in 1 lb. packages. And lastly, I almost always use tamari soy sauce but in this recipe, because there is so much used, I chose the low-sodium and that was the right decision.

Soba Noodles with Tofu and Bok Choy
Serves 4

I very very loosely adapted this recipe from Cooking Light.

1 lb. soba noodles
1 lb. extra firm tofu
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. grated ginger
2 tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tbsp. dark sesame oil
2 tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
4 heads baby bok choy, cut in half lengthwise

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add salt and soba noodles and cook until just al dente, 4-6 minutes. Drain and rinse well with cold water. Set aside.

Mix the mirin, soy sauce, ginger, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, red pepper flakes, and garlic together in a bowl with a whisk.

Cut the tofu crosswise into four pieces. Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu and just enough soy mixture to come half-wat up the sides of the tofu (dont' use all of it). Bring to a gentle boil and cook 4 minutes. Turn the tofu over and cook another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Place the bok choy halves in the same pan and pour in some more of the soy mixture. Cook for 2-3 minutes and remove from heat. (You may have to do this in batches.)

To serve: Place a tangle of soba noodles on a plate and top with tofu and bok choy. If you have leftover sauce, you can pour this over the noodles. If not, just give them a little shake of soy sauce.

(Almost End of) Summer Rolls

As a personal chef, I feel really lucky to have such great clients. I currently have three couples that I cook dinner for twice a week (one couple is just once a week), and they have been really flexible and understanding whenever I go out of town, or one of my kids get sick, or I decide to take a 6 month maternity leave. Perhaps best of all, they eat whatever I bring them. None of them is vegetarian but they are happy to eat that way and they haven't really had any dietary or dislike restrictions. I have just been able to show up with what I felt like making that day and they have been happy to eat it.

Until about 3 months ago. My friend and longest standing client Stephanie told me that her husband really doesn't like Asian food and neither of them really like mushrooms. This was a blow because a) I LOVE Asian food and b) mushrooms are an important part of vegetarian cuisine - for me anyway. They travel on a semi-regular basis so whenever they are gone, I make Asian food or Things with Mushrooms or Asian Mushroom Food.

Last night I made a Red Curry with Summer Vegetables and Fresh Summer Rolls. The rolls are something I have been working on for years. I used to order them all the time at the Noodle Ranch in Seattle where my taste buds were forever spoiled because they were so good and are so mediocre at most other places I have tried. I have experimented with all different recipes with all different fillings, and have attempted to perfect my rolling technique. I have to say, last night I think I nailed it. I borrowed an idea from here and there and I used an incredible dipping sauce from Everyday Greens. Some day when I am the master of my new camera (it is currently the master of me), I will document a step by step photo montage of how to make these. For now, I will just have to try and be descriptive. They are not hard to make, just a little time consuming and so so so so worth it.

A word about the tofu. I found tofu that had already been fried at PCC. This was huge for me because I hate frying tofu, or frying anything for that matter. If you are unable to find it and don't want to fry your own, you can either just use plain or use one of the flavored varieties (stick with Asian-y flavors). You can also use my super simple and delicious method described here.

Fresh Summer Rolls with Tofu and Hoisin Peanut Dipping Sauce
Makes approximately 12

The carrots, cucumber, and tofu can all be prepared a day ahead and stored, separately, in the refrigerator. The herbs are flexible here. Use just mint and Thai basil if you hate cilantro, or all mint if you can't find Thai basil. Rice paper rounds can be found in the Asian section of some supermarkets - Whole Foods has them. They are about frisbee diameter. For the noodles, look for those that are about the width of angel hair pasta. Any thicker and it won't turn out right.

12 rice paper rounds
3 medium carrots, cut into very thin matchsticks about 3 inches long
1 lg. "English" cucumber
4 oz. thin rice noodles
12 oz. extra firm tofu, cut into thin matchsticks, about 3 inches long
Cilantro leaves
Thai Basil leaves (substitute mint, if desired)

Blanch the carrots in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Cut both ends off the cucumber. Stand it on one end and, avoiding the seeds, cut down the length of the cucumber. Keep turning it 45 degrees and making the same cut, then discard the seedy interior. Slice the four pieces into thin matchsticks, about 3 inches long. Set aside.

Place the noodles in a large heat-proof bowl and pour boiling water over to cover. Let stand 10 minutes, drain, and set aside.

Mix the cilantro leaves and Thai basil leaves in a small bowl.

Have all your ingredients ready in front of you. Fill a large bowl with lukewarm water and spread out a clean dishtowel on a work surface. Place one rice paper round in the water and allow it to soften for about 15 seconds. You want it slightly pliable but not mush. It will continue to soften once you get it out of the water. (If you leave it in for too long, it will become like plastic wrap and be difficult to work with.) Scatter a few cilantro leaves and a few Thai basil leaves over the surface of the paper. Starting about 2-3 inches from the bottom of the round, place a few pieces of carrot, then a few pieces of cucumber, then a few pieces of tofu, and then a small fingerful of noodles. Stack them one ahead of the other, not one on top of the other. Resist the urge to overfill until you get the hang of what is the right amount.

Fold the bottom of the circle over the filling and try to compress the filling a bit. Continue rolling, then fold the right and left side in, then roll up to the top. Roll it over on itself so the seam will stick. Continue with the rest of the papers and filling ingredients. Rolls can be made about 4 hours ahead and stored in the refrigerator, covered loosely with a damp paper towel.

Peanut-Hoisin Dipping Sauce
Adapted from Everyday Greens
Makes about 1 cup

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp. rice vinegar
1/4 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped

Heat the oil in a small saute pan and add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium-high heat until crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Finely chop and transfer to a small bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients and stir.

Let's Talk About Tofu

When I mention to the people who I don't know well that I am a vegetarian, I get a myriad of responses. First and foremost, almost everyone asks if I eat fish. Somewhere I heard that vegetarians don't eat anything with a face - last time I checked, fish have faces. Other responses: often, people ask why I don't eat meat. Sometimes I will hear that their sister/brother/sister-in-law/brother-in-law is a vegetarian - I almost expect them to ask me if I know this relative. Sometimes they say silly things like, "Oh, you must eat a lot of salad." (I'm sorry, what year is it again? Have you never heard of things other than salad that don't include meat?). And sometimes they ask me, with the most incredible disgusted expression on their face, if I like tofu.

Well, yes I do. I really really do. And you might too if you knew what kind to get and what to do with it.

I think meat-eating people sometimes think of tofu as a meat alternative. Like their plate would have a steak, baked potato, and asparagus on it while mine would have a slab of tofu, baked potato, and asparagus. As much as I love tofu, I wouldn't like it like that. Who would? Tofu has basically no flavor of it's own and a texture that some people find objectionable, so eating it essentially naked does no one any favors. In my opinion, tofu does best in Asian food preparations where standing in for meat is natural.

Tofu needs help in both the flavor and the texture department. So let's start with what kind you should buy. I would heartily recommend you stick to extra-firm tofu. It is less sponge-y and just more solid all around. Be sure you are buying the kind that is either shrink wrapped or packed in water and is in the refrigerated section - not the kind that is sold vacuum packages on the shelf. That is silken tofu and while it has it's place (like in miso soup), it is not what you want for the time being.

I really like the tofu that Trader Joe's carries and I also love this brand. They have a great option that gives you two 8 oz. pieces that are sealed separately, so if you only need half a pound, you can have it without wasting the other half a pound. (My old favorite came in 12 oz portions which was really annoying.)

One big key to preparing tofu is to make sure you get as much water out of it as you reasonably can. I have seen all kinds of directions for pressing it with heavy cans on over-turned pie plates and all of that just makes me tired even thinking about it. Who has time for that? I just take about 4 paper towels, wrap the tofu block up in the towels, and press down. As I slice it, I press it with the towels again. Removing excess moisture from the tofu will allow it to absorb more of the flavor you are introducing it to, and will also help prevent a lot of splattering if you go to fry it.

One very simple preparation (and one that lends itself well to stir-fries of all kinds), is to cut your block of tofu in to 1/3 inch by 2 inch planks. Put it in a plastic bag and pour in a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce. I like Tamari best here - it has more depth of flavor than regular soy sauce and you should be able to find it on your international food aisle. Seal the bag, and let it marinate for half an hour or so. Then, heat up a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add just enough tofu to cover the bottom. Don't even bother to add oil. The heat will carmelize the natural sugars in the Tamari and the tofu will develop a nice little crust and a firmer texture. Be sure to turn it over half way through.

The above photo is a lovely little appetizer that I brought to my clients E and J today. It's great because it requires no cooking and yet has lots of flavor. If summer ever does decide to visit us here in the great Northwest, this will be a nice recipe to have on hand.

Spicy Lime and Herbed Tofu in Lettuce Cups
Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine
6 First-Course Servings

The original recipe calls for fish sauce in the dressing. I substituted soy sauce but if you are not opposed to a little fish sauce, by all means use that. There really is no substitute for that flavor - even I have to admit that. Lemongrass can be a little tricky to find but Whole Foods always has it. It is worth searching out - the flavor and aroma are incomparable.

Dressing
1/4 cup thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh lemongrass, cut from the bottom 4 inches of 4 stalks with the tough leaves removed
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 medium limes)
2 tbsp. tamari soy sauce
2 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. sweet chili sauce

Tofu
1/2 diced seeded cucumber
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup diced seeded plum tomatoes
2 tbsp. chopped seeded jalapeno chile
1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 tbsp. chopped mint
1 tbsp. chopped basil (preferably Thai Basil)
1 16 oz package extra firm tofu, drained, cut in to 1 inch cubes
6 large or 12 medium butter lettuce leaves

For the dressing:
Puree first 5 ingredients in blender. Let mixture stand for at least 15 minutes and up to one hour. Strain mixture into small bowl, pressing on solids to release any liquid; discard solids. Stir in sweet chili sauce. (Can be made one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

For the tofu:
Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Add tofu and dressing to bowl, toss to coat. Arrange 1 or 2 lettuce leaves on each of 6 plates. Divide tofu mixture among lettuce leaves and serve. (You can advise people to roll it up and eat it with their hands or use knife and fork).