Escalivada, Purple Yams! & DIY Baked Tofu

Lady Sally and her friend Susan spent a couple of days in Barcelona (the capital of Catalonia) while they were in Spain, and enjoyed some of the classic Catalonian fare.   For Gator Game Gathering the other night I made a classic Barcelonan warm grilled salad called Escalivada (which they hadn't tried) and served it on squares of grilled flatbread, all drizzled with a bit of good quality Catalonian olive oil from the village of Llado, and also a nice balsamic vinegar.

Escalivada

If you're a real grill-aholic, this is the salad for you. The whole dish can be done on a hot grill, as a starter, to be eaten while you grill the burgers or steaks.   Or you can make it on the “inverted grill” called your oven's broiler.

1-2 long Japanese eggplant per person (or one large dark eggplant)

1 large Tomato per person, halved

1 Red Bell Pepper per two people

1 large Poblano Pepper

1 small Red Onion, halved

1 small White Onion, halved

1-2 Tbsp Herbs de Provence spice blend

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Flatbread per person

Slice the eggplant into 1” rounds (or 1” fingers if using the large purple kind). In Barcelona they would skin the eggplant and the tomatoes, but that's a lot of bother, IMHO. Do take the papery outer skin off the onions though. Top and remove the seeds and veins from the peppers, and open them out flat.

Fire up your heat source – grill or broiler. Set everything on a grill pan with drain slots, or something similar. Make sure the peppers are skin side up and the onions and tomatoes are cut side down to start. Drizzle with olive oil. You could also put the prepped veggies in a large bowl or zip top bag, pour in some olive oil, and toss to combine, before setting the veg on the grill pan. Sprinkle with the herbs de provence, and put the pan on/under the heat. Cook 5-8 minutes until the peppers are charred nicely. Remove from the heat, flip everything over, sprinkle with more herbs, and oil, and return to the heat until the second side is cooked. Remove things to a warm platter as they finish cooking... the onions will be last.

Grill your flatbreads – either homemade or store bought work well as a base for this salad. Then divvy up the vegetables among the flatbreads, drizzle again with good olive oil and balsamic.

DIY Baked Tofu

Last week I gave you a recipe for a version of the PF Chang Vegetarian Lettuce Wrap, which used baked tofu. I found the baked tofu hard to locate, and you may too. But making your own is dirt simple although a bit time consuming. Make it one day for use the next, or later in the week. Most tofu is pretty bland stuff, but this is really tasty, if I do say so myself.

1 pound extra-firm Tofu

1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame oil

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce or Tamari

1 Tbsp Rice Wine or Sherry

1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar

1 clove Garlic clove, minced

2 tsp fresh Ginger, minced

2 Tbsp Water

1 Tbsp Sriracha or Asian chili paste

1 Tbsp Corn Starch

Drain the tofu: wrap it in several layers of paper towel, and place it on a plate with more paper towel underneath (gotta absorb the water). Put second plate on top of the tofu and place a heavy can of beans (28-32 oz) or a brick on top.

Brick? Doesn't everyone have a “kitchen brick” wrapped in tinfoil? They're handy for all sorts of flattening jobs like bacon strips and flattening a chicken breast for Chicken Milanese.

Let the tofu compress for 30-45 minutes. Unwrap it, pat dry, and cut into cubes, slices or whatever shape you like. I prefer slices about 3/8” thick, and I get about 10 slices per pound.

In a large, zip-top bag, mix everything else except the corn starch. Add the tofu pieces, zip the bag shut and remove as much air as you can. Refrigerate for anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight (I made mine with 4-5 hours of marinade time), turning a couple times during the period to ensure good coverage.

Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 350ºF, or an electric skillet to 325ºF.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or put a piece of tinfoil in the bottom of your electric skillet.

Drain the tofu (reserve the marinade for other uses) and transfer the pieces to a large bowl. Use a mesh sieve or strainer to sift corn starch over the tofu, tossing periodically to coat everything thoroughly. Alternatively, put the tofu pieces in a large plastic bag, add the corn starch and shake gently to coat (which is what I did).

Reserved marinade can be refrigerated, and used for a dipping sauce or dressing for another dish.

Bake the coated tofu (covered if using an electric skillet), turning several times, until crisp and brown, about 45 minutes until you get the degree of brown-ness you want. Place on a rack to cool. 

 Use immediately, or store in the fridge for 4-5 days. Great not only in that Veggie Wrap recipe, but as an additive to an Asian style salad, stir fry, soup, or just as an out-of-hand snack.

Purple Yams

Yes... another purple food. I'd heard of them, but until last week at a local Farmer's Market, hadn't had a chance to try them. The seller mentioned that the purple variety wasn't quite as sweet or moist as its orange brethren, and he was right. Cooking time was the same though.Very tasty in their own right. Give them a try if you see them!

We had them just microwaved whole, then halved to serve with butter, but I think they would be visually stunning and very tasty in a side dish of cubed yams, mixed in equal amounts with the familiar orange ones.

Bonus Salad

Crisp Romaine lettuce, fresh beefsteak tomato, and a drizzle of really good balsamic vinegar!  Can it get any better or simpler?