I’m making an attempt from now on to use capital letters and be a Proper Adult Blogger.  Well, that proper part is maybe a bit extreme outside of typing; I am really just afraid I’ll forget how to write by hand (although in that case I usually do the opposite of what I do here…I write in all capital letters likely as a remnant of my short-lived interior design schooling).

So, who’s hot?  I am.  I don’t mind the heat so much as the humidity, and living on the attic floor of an old house.  Usually I lose interest in cooking and subsist on water, smoothies, and going out to eat.  We hit about 88 on Sunday, the day of the first Twin Cities Vegan Potluck, which I think was at least partially responsible for the relatively poor attendance.  When I actually do cook, they are quick, stovetop items with at least a couple of fresh ingredients.

I’m quite certain that a plethora of vegan couscous and chickpea dishes exist; I’m sure many more than my rather unsuccessful Google search revealed.  This is my favorite way to make one, incorporating my current obsession with lemon zest.  I just can’t get enough lemon!  In my quest for healthier grains, I suggest whole wheat couscous if you can find it, but it would look awful pretty with the larger Israeli variety as well.  Adjust the crushed chili pepper to taste, and if you like it really hot, serve this with a crisp, fresh cucumber salad.  This is really lovely at any time of year (the spice will warm you on the colder days of fall and winter), but the short cooking time, simple ingredients, and fresh toppings make it a suitable summer dish, whether warm or chilled.

Zesty Lemon Couscous with Chickpeas and Tomato (serves 3-4):

1 c vegetable stock
1 tbsp olive oil
1 c couscous

1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 c onion, diced
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp crushed red chili pepper (or to taste)
1/4 tsp allspice
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes
zest from one lemon (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

1/4 c parsley, minced
1 scallion, sliced diagonally

Bring vegetable stock and olive oil to a boil.  Stir in couscous, cover, and remove from heat.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium pan.  Add the onion and garlic and saute until softened.  Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili pepper, and allspice and cook another minute or two, stirring constantly, before doing the same with the chickpeas.  Add the diced tomatoes and cook until heated through, then grate in the lemon zest.

Fluff the couscous with a fork and combine with the chickpea mixture, then season to taste with salt and pepper (the sodium content of the vegetable stock will affect how much salt you want).  Serve garnished with fresh parsley and scallions.

I finally made it to the garden again this morning, and was greeted by an explosion of growth and color.  I’m hoping to harvest some gorgeous kale tomorrow along with a few beets.  The sky just turned a strange yellow color outside and it began to rain.  I hope it cooled off this little kitty:

seitan fajitas with red, yellow, and poblano peppers, red onions, and guacamole on homemade corn tortillas

this week i made a plank of seitan, and i mean a plank.  my experiences with making seitan have often resulted in firm interiors and spongier outsides.  so, inspired by tofu666’s recent seitan excursions and less recent photo essay, plus a conglomeration of recipes, i first failed at making seitan from regular wheat flour.  it disintegrated in the second batch of water, which makes me wonder whether i either didn’t knead the dough long enough at the beginning or my canister of “whole wheat flour” was actually something else.  so i went to the old standby of vital wheat gluten, and rolled the resulting dough into a giant pancake of sorts.  i put it into cold broth, simmered it for an hour, then let it cool all day in the pot while i was at work.  it worked deliciously!  so firm, pleasantly chewy, and it even makes a tasty nibble on its own.

today, however, it had a different calling:

i went off the real food daily recipe for seitan fajitas, though i made it for four mini servings, replaced some of the tamari with water, and added coriander and marmite.  while the seitan pieces marinated, i made a small batch of corn tortillas.  yum.  i don’t think i can ever buy storebought corn tortillas again, though i will definitely have to try making flour ones as well sometime.  this was only the second time i’ve made them, but really, they’re quite easy.  (while my girlfriend was on tour, her band was treated to a homemade mexican-themed vegan breakfast feast cooked by chloe from montreal-based aids wolf.  she made homemade everything, including tortillas!)  then i browned the seitan in the cast iron pan, threw in some onions and peppers and sauteed them a couple of minutes.  i poured the remaining marinade over everything and turned the heat off while they sizzled.  topped with some guacamole, they made for a very tasty lunch.

i haven’t done a ton of cooking yet, because it’s been pretty hot out, and we’ve been really busy looking for a new place to live.  i did, however, get a chance to try out the popular quinoa salad with black beans and sweet potatoes posted awhile back on the ppk.  i made it spicier and added avocado, and it was quick and easy!

my stomach hasn’t been very happy with some of my food choices lately.  i think the raw really had cleaned me out even after just a week, and i have been feeling the effects of my poorer choices (like pizza luce and malaysian golden tofu).  so i’ve got to stop being lazy and put my foot down in this house about more fresh food!  there’s a good-looking recipe for a raw creamy carrot soup that’s been calling my name.  and more juice.  definitely more juice.

fresh fruit tart with citrus banana cashew cream on a buckwheat crumble crust

today, i loved colors.  well, more than usual, and in my food.  i am fully aware that it is much hotter and muggier in other parts of the world than it is here in minnesota, but today was our first really hot day.  my one-block walk to work left me uncomfortably hot and sweaty, which was an unfortunate follow-up to the morning of fun food-making.

i had some soaked cashews waiting to be used in the fridge and a bunch of bananas on the counter, which i thought would pair well together to make a rich and creamy topping for the buckwheat crumble (again, from living cuisine) crust i’d made over the weekend.  and though i love bananas and have been adding them to smoothies and eating them plain, i thought they might work well with some citrus flavors for variety.  at work i have to bake these (unfortunately not vegan) citrus pistachio shortbread cookies that smell SO good.  until i feel inspired to turn my oven on and veganize them, i thought i’d borrow the intoxicating trio of lemon, orange, and lime for this little creation.

most of my raw eating has been from cookbooks because i am far less familiar with the concepts and i wanted to learn new ideas and techniques.  this time, however, you’re in luck if you’re jonesing for a homemade recipe!  i’m going to go out on a limb and say you could probably make this with all bananas and no cashews if you can’t eat nuts, as well as subbing avocado for bananas if you’d like to keep the creaminess but skip the banana flavor.  it works equally well as a pudding with granola and fresh fruit.  or you can do it like i did.

citrus banana cashew cream filling (makes enough for a 10″ deep pie crust, maybe more):

1 ½ cups cashews, soaked 6-8 hours
2 bananas, peeled and broken into chunks
8 dates, pitted*
1 whole orange, zest and juice
½-1 lemon, zest and juice (start with 1/2)
½-1 lime, zest and juice (start with 1/2)
2 teaspoons vanilla, or vanilla bean

water, as needed

Place soaked and drained cashews in a food processor or blender and process into a meal. Add remaining ingredients (except water), and blend thoroughly, scraping down the sides as needed, until as creamy and smooth as possible. Add water as needed to adjust thickness (how much juice you get out of your fruits will affect this too). This may take 5 minutes depending on the strength of the processor/blender (but if you choose the no-nuts route, far less time). Taste and add more zest if desired.  Use as a pudding or pie/tart filling with fresh fruit, eat, and pass out from creamy deliciousness.

*the dates do darken the cream up a bit, so you can use agave to taste if you prefer, or leave it out if you just want to rock the banana.

why yes, i did have a piece for breakfast!

after a quick rinse in the sink, the bowl went back on the food processor to whip up some pea mole (that’s the guacamole kind of mole) for a “torta” i was planning to bring to a dinner party later.  however, that’s when i had to get creative.  the “torta” crust i had made the day before out of sprouted wild rice and some other things didn’t smell quite right.  i noticed this about the wild rice the last time i rinsed it - it smelled off in a way that made me worry it had gone bad.  i rinsed it really really well and the smell seemed to go away, but after dehydrating it the smell was back and i just couldn’t risk sacrificing perfectly good fillings on a crust that might make me (not to mention my friends) sick.  painful as it was, i tossed it and hoped i could come up with some sort of elaborate new dish.  but i had no good ideas, and not much time.  luckily my eyes landed on the massive container of rosemary crisps sitting innocently on the kitchen table, and i found my purpose.  the summer manitok torta from living cuisine became, instead, spicy pea mole with avocado and tomato on rosemary crisps:

i actually added garlic (and some cayenne for kick) to the mole, since that flavor was meant to be in the wild rice crust, but otherwise kept it the same.  instead of a torta, i had individual servings with a slice each of avocado and tomato, and parsley for garnish.  despite a slightly less crispy cracker from being prepped in the morning, these were well received as my somewhat self-conscious contribution of raw.  since i sadly couldn’t partake in the delicious-looking quinoa and garbanzo salad, i had three mini tortas!

i don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but i do have a small bowl of leftover mole, tomatoes, and avocado, so they will likely end up in something.  that, and i have half of the fruit tart left (yep, it was all me).  perhaps i’ll conjure up an appropriate vehicle during my haircut after work tomorrow?

raw avocado-kale enchilada with pepitas, red onion, tomatoes, cilantro and chili flakes, inside a raw corn-flax-lime tortilla and covered in mexican-style cheese sauce

today i had the second half of my enchilada meal for lunch, and unlike the pasta, this one kept wonderfully!  i used a tortilla recipe from frugal raw!, which i might dip into more for the spicy recipes (including indian curries!), but made my own fillings.  i was slightly thinking back to the potato-kale enchiladas from vcon in coming up with this, but also dealing with the limits of my fridge at 930pm.  to get the kale soft, i stemmed and chopped it, then massaged salt into it (a technique learned from this recipe).  unbelievably, it softens and reduces just as if it had been cooked!  then i just added pepitas, avocado, red onions, tomatoes, cilantro, chili flakes, and a little salt.  i used the remainder of my alfredo sauce from the pasta and added cumin, coriander, cayenne, and carrots (for color) to make a mexican style nut cheese to pour over the top.  it was so pretty, and so delicious (though i wished i had some raw hot sauce!).

as far as the rest of the day, i’ve been snacking on crackers and fruits and veggies.  i did make myself a green smoothie when i got home from work which used orange juice instead of almond milk (from my usual), and fresh ginger.  i upped the greens in this one, and it was amazing (and extra green)!  again, i made enough for two jars:

it’s almost 90F today, so really i just want to lay in front of the fan and nap with some ice cubes.  tomorrow morning, however, i have to prep something for a dinner party i’m going to later that night, so i think it will be back to some more fancies (as the crust is already crisping in the dehydrator).

raw eggplant jerky, lemon hummus with fresh salsa, raw no-wheat thins, and roma tomatoes.

here in minneapolis, we are lucky to be having pretty decent weather right now. it’s warming up, but we still have cool nights, and the humidity hasn’t gotten nasty. still, i appreciate breaks from using the oven whenever i can, living in the attic level of an old house.

this makes dehydrator life very appealing! while it still emits some heat, 105 degrees is far preferable to, say, 400. i have just started learning how to plan for dehydrating more than one thing at a time (though i still only made two simultaneous creations for today’s post), which is a better use of energy, of course. besides the cookies and cereal, i made one sheet of strawberry-lemon fruit leather (devoured promptly on saturday at midnight, hence the lack of photo). so on monday, my day off, i got up early and sliced some eggplants on the mandoline and made a “jerky” marinade for them. then i soaked some almonds for making a fresh batch of milk, the pulp of which formed the base of some “no-wheat thins” made later in the day. that’s one things i really like about making raw food (which, i’m sure, could be adapted in several ways to non-raw food): getting to re-use leftovers from recipes (like nut or vegetable pulp from milk or juice) to make all-new recipes (like cookies or carrot cake!). maybe i should say that i know that i and many people use cooked leftovers in creative ways, but you seem to be left with a lot more unadulterated base ingredients when preparing raw food. or maybe i’m just really excited about doing this cleanse, and i want it to sound more exciting than it really is? anyway, onto the recipes.

if you don’t want to experiment with turning your oven on and off to recreate a dehydrator, or the sun and humidity isn’t cooperating, or you’re into diy projects, you can go here to learn how to build your own solar food dehydrator. hooray!

i adapted this recipe for eggplant jerky to suit and set my own quantities. the texture becomes very jerky-like, but the flavor isn’t very much in that vein because, of course, nothing gets smoked in raw food. the flavor is still really amazing though - rich, tangy and spicy. i did discover that i do not like chewing through a slice of eggplant peel, so i would recommend discarding the outer peel slices (but the peel-edged slices were great!). i needed two large containers to marinate the eggplant slices in, but in the end they shriveled up into one medium-sized quantity.

raw eggplant jerky (makes about 1 quart):

2 medium eggplants (about 1 1/2 lbs.), sliced thinly (halved if large)
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 c balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic
1/2-1 red chili pepper, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons of raw agave
1 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, sliced
1-2 tsp salt, or to taste

cut the eggplant into quarters lengthwise, and cut off the stem end. slice thinly using a mandoline, vegetable peeler, handheld cheese slicer, or with a knife. place into one or two large airtight containers, with enough room for some shaking. in a blender or food processor, process the garlic, chili pepper, and ginger until fine. add the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and agave and blend until emulsified. pour the marinade over the eggplant, cover, and shake to saturate all the pieces. marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours (i cheated the original recipe) or up to 24 hours. place on lined dehydrator trays and dehydrate for 12-24 hours, flipping once, until jerky-like. (my slices were pretty thin, so it only took about 12 for me).

**alternately, if you don’t care about keeping it raw or necessarily having a super-chewy texture, you could bake these in the oven at 350F for 15-20 minutes or until crispy.**

for the no-wheat thins, i’m going to point you in this direction, since i followed it pretty faithfully. i used wet almond pulp so i reduced the amount of water a little bit, and had to pre-grind my flax seeds in a spice grinder because my food processor isn’t that powerful. also, i added some cracked pepper and nutritional yeast for extra fun times (sprinkled on top of the spread cracker “dough”). these were really light and tasty, and i am excited to experiment with adding buckwheat or other seeds for more texture and flavor. if you omit the pepper and nooch, they could be a great base for sweet toppings too!

ps - if you’re wondering about the title of this post, my ladyfriend asked me to change it from simply “afternoon appetizers” to its current incarnation as a nod to maya deren’s film.  she’s cute, eh?

seared maple mustard chili tofu with steamed broccoli and wild and brown rice

…i haven’t (that doesn’t happen for another week). i went the slightly less healthy route and fried up some of my maple mustard chili tofu from the forthcoming zine in a cast iron pan for a good 10 minutes. the broccoli and rice make me feel less guilty. but the pleasure is all worth it!

it’s been awhile, due to tweakings on zine tester recipes and the loaning out of my camera’s memory card. luckily, the recipes have been sent to the testers, and the memory card came back today! so i set to work making something tasty.

i’ve mentioned before that i’m planning to do about a week-long raw fast at the end of the month. i’ve been doing lots of research and a few experiments (some of those should pop up around here soon). the early summer weather has got me craving raw foods from ecopolitan a lot, but i often push that aside to preserve my pocketbook and being able to eat “acceptable” meals with my partner and my friends. i’m trying to make more food at home instead of running across the street (though ecopolitan’s desserts are heavenly. HEAVENLY. last week i had a slice of purple heart pie and i don’t know everything that was in it but i almost fell off my chair it was SO good!), especially since i don’t want to end up broke after a week! i’ve heard of people who did a raw cleanse and spent 500$ on groceries for five days’ worth! i can only imagine that they’re making recipes from raw food real world or the like, and relying far too heavily on nuts. at any rate, that’s not the plan i have in mind.

after a trip to the store, i scored huge in the freebies-for-employees produce (including a cherimoya that’s nearly the size of my head and looks to be just about perfectly ripe!) as well as some other things i needed around the kitchen. i made a smoothie based on this recipe, only i juiced the rhubarb and a cucumber together to use in place of water, and i only had about 5 nuts sitting in my fridge. there was some leftover juice which i added water and lemon juice to as a “summer cooler” that i plan to drink while gardening this afternoon.

strawberry-rhubarb-cucumber smoothie for breakfast

for lunch, i’ve been having visions of raw spring rolls, with colorful fillings bursting out of them. originally i’d thought of using daikon as the wrapper, but got some daikon sprouts instead. i’m the first to admit i only thought until i started looking into raw food that only alfalfa and mung bean sprouts were in existence. and if you go by most supermarkets, you might think so too. i’ve never been a fan of alfalfa sprouts - to me, they’ve always tasted like dirt and got in the way of other sandwich fillings. but when i heard about radish sprouts, i knew i had to try them. they’re spicy, and their little leaves are generally a bit larger than alfalfa sprouts. i also went with carrots, a ripe champagne mango, zucchini, cilantro, and fresh basil as fillings.

i don’t have a recipe, per se, for these rolls. but i do have some tips about making raw spring rolls.

1) if using a leafy green that is pale on the underside, remember to place your fillings on the pale side. this way when you roll it up, the color will be on the outside (and it will probably roll more easily that way too). if there is a thick stem or rib at the base of the leaf, cut it out and overlap the two sections to keep the fillings from spilling out.

2) pick a nice variety of textures, flavors, and colors. having crunchy carrots and sprouts with soft mango and zucchini was a nice mix for the delicate butter lettuce. in the flavor department, fresh herbs are your best friend! regardless of the zestiness of the daikon sprouts and the creaminess of the mango, for example, the cilantro and basil really would have been missed. likewise, pairing whatever your fillings end up being with a good dipping sauce will really help expand the flavors, as well as moisten everything. lastly, having a lot of colors not only makes it look pretty, but also means you’re getting a wider variety of nutrients.

3) don’t overstuff. like their rice paper wrapper cousins, using too much filling will make them difficult to roll and hard to keep closed. however, you can combat this by using toothpicks to hold them together. and regardless of how careful and exacting you are, these can get pretty messy to eat. napkin recommended!

i also made my first raw cookies today. a really great benefit to making your own nut and seed milks is that you can use the leftover pulp as a base for cookies or cheeses. in this case, i had some pumpkin seed pulp that i added dates, ginger, cardamom, carob, and almonds to. we don’t have the world’s greatest food processor, so i ended up adding too much water to try and get the dough to stick together. but dehydrated for a few hours and they weren’t half bad for a recipe-less first attempt, although they tasted an awful lot like the topping for the apple crisp i made (i think it was the ginger). next time i’m going to add more carob powder and maybe some cinnamon!

lemon zucchini bread (pictured on a bamboo plate purchased from twin cities green**)

after a bit of a break due to hectic-ness with work and life, i’ve promised myself i’d develop a few more recipes this weekend to test for the zine.  today got me baking, sautéing, and giving one of the older recipes a new twist:

polenta-baked maple-mustard-chili *tempeh* over spicy kale with thai peanut dressing

for a change, i thought i’d try my recently amended marinade on some tempeh instead, coat it in some polenta, and bake it - instead of my usual naked tofu/grill route.  it turned out delicious!  a told me it looked like baked fish sticks (”but not in a gross way”).  i served it over spicy sautéed kale with thai peanut dressing, inspired by a similar coconut-peanut-spinach curry i love to get at true thai (only, i imagine, quicker to make and less fattening).

i also baked some lemon zucchini bread, which has the perfect lemony hint and deliciously moist interior for a summer treat.  i’m bringing it into work tomorrow morning, also, in hopes that they’ll start making it in the bakery (because sadly, our vegan mini bread selection is in quite a depressed state).  here is an inside shot, fantastic alone, though also great with a little earth balance spread on top.

**twin cities green is a local eco-friendly retailer and information center that sells recycled, reclaimed, sustainable, fair-trade, natural and organic furniture, home/kitchen goods, clothing, bath products, books, baby stuff, etc.  even their labels and gift certificates are printed on the backside of used cereal boxes!  they also hold workshops on several topics like diy, bike maintenance, and eco-friendly alternatives.  if you live in the twin cities, i recommend checking them out.

black bean, leek, and oregano polenta layered with tomato relish and garlic-almond nut cheese, served on “house”-dressed greens

i was really hoping to have two dishes to share photos of today. but alas, my attempt at a beautiful rendition of vegan world fusion cuisine’s vital ital green banana omelet resulted in an unattractive (though tasty) mush-pile. believe me, there was no way i was going to photograph that, even as an example of disaster. however, i did make a tasty dinner: black bean and herb polenta stacks.

the fillings, and accompanying salad, were rather off the cuff as far as a recipe. but i can share the polenta recipe. we make a few items at work using tubed polenta, but i’ve never really been into its texture and bland flavor… that may be, however, due to our minimal method of preparation (brushing it with olive oil and sprinkling it with salt and pepper, then baking it for 20 minutes before incorporating it into the recipes, both of which aren’t vegan). i’ve always heard (and now believe) that homemade polenta is the way to go.

i ran across several methods and opinions as to how long to cook the polenta. i was feeling a bit lazy, so i went with a shorter cooking time followed by broiling, though i added black beans and some other goodies to make the creamy polenta even tastier. i cut this into stackable sections and filled each polenta layer with tomato relish and nut cheese.

remember the almond milk i posted about last time? that time around i saved the ground nuts remaining in my nutmilk bag and used them as a base for a garlicky almond cheese. any kind of spreadable vegan cheese or cream cheese, jazzed up a bit with garlic and spices, though, would do. i made a simple tomato and red onion relish, though i think any salsa-type concoction would work. you could even switch up the kinds of beans and herbs, and make a more italian-inspired dish. or, add more veggies to the mix. the polenta gives you a base to experiment with - just keep in mind that the polenta as is is pretty subtle so you will want some stronger flavors in your spread/vegetable layers.

black bean and herb polenta (makes about 2 1/2 c polenta):

3 c vegetable stock (or water)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 c polenta (coarse cornmeal)
1/3 c chopped leeks or scallions
1 c cooked black beans
2 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
salt and pepper to taste

bring stock, oil, and salt to a boil. whisk in cornmeal and reduce heat to a simmer. simmer 10 minutes, whisking constantly. stir in leeks, black beans, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook a few minutes longer. pour into a lightly greased casserole or baking dish (about 9×12), and smooth with a spatula. let cool and set up.

at this point you can cut out your circles or squares, make the layers, and bake the whole stack; otherwise, broil the dish of polenta until it starts to brown (about 10 minutes). let cool and cut out circles of polenta with a thin-rimmed glass or cookie cutter, or square shapes with a knife. layer tomato relish on one piece, top with another piece of polenta, spread with vegan cheese, and top with a third layer of polenta. garnish with oregano and serve with a green salad.

also, this past weekend this was my kitchen:

i ended up with a pretty tasty chili one night, if you can believe it.  beer helps, too.  if you wanna see some pictures from our camping trip to the north shore, click here.

i’ve made chai off and on for the past few years - after oregon chai got me hooked on the stuff, i’ve since grown to loathe its sickeningly sweet flavor and general overuse in coffeeshops around the country (luckily i’ve also since grown to like coffee which i’ll get in place of the former choice).  i really dig a nice cup of spicy, homemade (cafe-made) chai, especially involving ginger, cloves, cardamom and black pepper.

i’m the first to admit, however, that my own homemade creations are inconsistent and most often not quite right.  i’m not sure what it is that alters it so much, but i’ve got a hunch that it, like french press coffee, is very sensitive to the temperature of the water in which it’s steeped.  this time i also - horror of horrors - forgot to add ginger!  so it was far from the spice level i wanted.  while not nearly as delicious as the chai from the nepalese restaurant up the street (they have 8 different kinds of chai!), this is totally drinkable.  so, chai-makers, i beg you to share your tips with me on method and ingredients and timing

luckily i do make a tasty nut milk, and went with a lightly date-sweetened, vanilla-flavored almond milk this time around.  so easy and cheap!  i’ve also got to start making rice milk again, which has got to be the easiest thing to make ever.  you see the almond milk and chai pictured at left in some glass fridge carafes i picked up at the co-op.  did you know that storing your food in glass containers (as opposed to plastic) is better for saving energy?  glass retains the cold temperatures better, so your fridge doesn’t have to work as hard to stay cool.  and by making your own milks and such, you are cutting down on waste even more!

baked cashew-ginger-lime tofu (with cilantro and red pepper), served with garlic-sauteed red chard and brown rice

i made the above for dinner tonight based on the cashew-ginger tofu from ed&bv, though i added some heat, lime, and cilantro because i had to use them up before our memorial day camping excursion to the gunflint trail…the preparation for which is the reason why i have been post-less and quiet as of late.  and i still don’t feel prepared!  at any rate, this was a tasty dish, although i wish i’d marinated the tofu a bit longer as the thickness of the sauce prevented easy penetration.  the red chard i got for free from work and was a delicious and beautiful side.

hope everyone has a good holiday weekend (for the u.s. residents out there)!