Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Creamy noodles drizzled with chile crisp, chicken fajitas in soft flour tortillas and more
Ifirst found tofu cream — a pourable sauce made from blended tofu, miso and garlic — in Hetty Lui Mckinnon’s 2023 cookbook, “Tenderheart.” Her sauce coats a mix of chewy udon and sauteed mushrooms and leeks, creating a lip-licking pasta that’s filling without feeling heavy. In her creamy vegan tofu noodle recipe below, the tofu cream is punched up with five-spice powder, tossed with wheat noodles, then drizzled with soy sauce, black vinegar and my forever favorite thing, chile crisp. As Hetty notes, this 20-minute dish will win over everyone, vegan or no. (Case in point: I’m not vegan.)
Tofu cream, I’ve found, works with any type of tofu: Add more water if your tofu is very firm, less or none if you have soft or silken tofu. Toss in some nutritional yeast, fresh herbs, onion powder, more garlic. Make it on the thicker side as a dip for veggies; thin it out to dress salads and grain bowls. But definitely, absolutely make tofu cream noodles.
Creamy vegan tofu noodles
There is no need to reserve this recipe exclusively for vegans: This noodle dish will win over any crowd, regardless of dietary dispositions. Here, tofu is blended with garlic, five-spice powder and water for a creamy yet weightless sauce that wraps around each noodle. The same technique can be used to create a lush dairyfree pasta sauce (just add nutritional yeast and fresh herbs) or a ranchlike dip (blitz silken tofu with garlic, onion powder and herbs). For this recipe, be sure to use firm tofu, as it has more body and makes for a heartier sauce. The creamy noodles provide the perfect backdrop for the spicy, punchy black vinegar sauce.
By Hetty Lui Mckinnon
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients for the noodles:
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 12 oz thick Chinese wheat noodles
• 1 (14-oz) package firm tofu, broken into pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp five-spice powder
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus a few sprigs for serving
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• Toasted white sesame seeds, for garnish
Ingredients for the topping:
• 2 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar (black vinegar), or a combination of 4 tsp rice wine vinegar plus 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp chile oil or chile crisp, such as Chiu Chow chile oil
• 1 scallion, finely chopped
• 1 (1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
Preparation:
1. Prepare the noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package instructions until the noodles are just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain well again.
2. As noodles cook, prepare the topping: Add vinegar, soy sauce, chile oil, scallion, ginger and 1 tablespoon water to a small bowl and stir to combine.
3. Place the tofu, garlic, sugar, five-spice and 3/4 teaspoon salt into a blender or food processor and blend, adding about 6 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is completely smooth and creamy. (You may need up to 12 tablespoons of water, depending on your tofu.)
4. Place the noodles in a large bowl and pour the tofu sauce on top. Add the cilantro and sesame oil, and toss until coated.
5. To serve, divide the noodles among bowls. Top with the spicy soy-vinegar sauce, sesame seeds and cilantro sprigs.
Chicken fajitas
You might think fajitas are too fussy for a weeknight, but this easy version roasts on a sheet pan and can be ready in an hour. Because the ingredients are thinly sliced, everything cooks in a flash — and with little attention required. Smoked paprika, chipotle chiles and a quick stop under the broiler provide the smoky flavor that would traditionally come from the grill. This recipe is very adaptable: Chicken is called for here, but you could also use shrimp or skirt steak.
For a vegetarian version, substitute fresh corn kernels, mushrooms, poblano peppers or zucchini for the meat. Cut the vegetables into sizes you’d want in a taco, coat them in the lime-chipotle marinade, roast until cooked, then broil until charred.
By Ali Slagle
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lime, zested and juiced (about 2 tsp zest and 2 tbsp juice)
• 1 to 2 chipotle chiles in adobo, to taste, coarsely chopped
• 2 tsp ground cumin or crushed cumin seeds
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into
• 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 3 bell peppers, any color or a combination
• 1 large red onion
• 8 flour tortillas, plus more as needed
Preparation:
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together 4 tablespoons oil, the lime zest and juice, chipotle chiles, cumin and paprika with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken, toss to coat and set aside to marinate while you prepare the vegetables.
2. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise, remove stem and seeds and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Peel and halve the onion and cut it into 1/4-inch slices. On a sheet pan, toss the bell peppers and onion with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
3. Gently shaking off excess marinade as you go, transfer the chicken to a second sheet pan. Roast the chicken and vegetables until the chicken is cooked through and the peppers are soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Once the chicken is out of the oven, move an oven rack close to the broiler. Turn on the broiler and transfer the sheet pan of vegetables to the rack. Broil until charred to your liking, 2 to 5 minutes.
5. While the vegetables are broiling, place the tortillas directly on a free oven rack until warm, about 1 minute, flipping once halfway through. Wrap the tortillas in a kitchen towel or foil to keep them warm.
6. Serve chicken and vegetables with tortillas and desired toppings.
Shrimp fried rice
Inspired by the fire-kissed flavor of Japanese steakhouse and hibachi fare, especially at the Kani House restaurants in Georgia, this quick fried rice dish is a veritable comfort. Frying the shrimp first in oil, just until they’re cooked, and reserving them to add back at the end means they stay tender. Plus, you’re left with the most aromatic shrimp oil in which to fry the rice and vegetables. The shortcut of bagged frozen mixed vegetables comes in handy here, not least because they need only to be thawed by the skillet’s high heat. The optional yum yum sauce, a mayo-ketchup dipping sauce that is ordinarily reserved for grilled hibachi meats, tastes fabulous splattered over the finished rice — not unlike how artist Jackson Pollock flung paint on canvas.
By Eric Kim
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients for fried rice:
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1 lb peeled and deveined medium shrimp, thawed if frozen
• Salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (any mix of carrots, peas, corn and green beans)
• 6 cups cooked jasmine or other long-grain white rice, preferably cold and day-old
• 1/4 cup soy sauce, or to taste
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 large eggs Ingredients for optional yum yum sauce (yields about 3/4 cup in five minutes):
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tbsp warm water
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• Salt
Preparation:
1. Heat a very large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high. Add the olive oil and shrimp, and sprinkle with salt and the garlic powder. Stirring occasionally, cook until the shrimp is no longer translucent and begins to turn golden at the edges — 2 to 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.
2. Add the onion and mixed vegetables to the shrimpy oil and cook, stirring occasionally — just until the onion loses its raw edge but is still crunchy, and the vegetables are mostly thawed — 1 to 2 minutes. Add the rice and soy sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until well combined and the rice begins to crisp underneath where it meets the pan, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more soy sauce as needed.
3. Scooch the rice to one side of the pan, lower the heat to medium and melt the butter on the empty side of the pan. Crack the eggs into the melted butter, break the yolks and stir vigorously to scramble the eggs, cooking just until they have set but are still tender, about 1 minute. Stir the soft scrambled eggs into the rice, add the reserved shrimp and any accumulated juices, then remove the pan from the heat.
4. Let the fried rice sit for a few minutes so that it can continue to crisp in the pan’s residual heat. If you haven’t already made the yum yum sauce, this is the perfect time to do it: In a medium bowl, stir together the garlic powder, paprika and warm water. Add the mayonnaise, ketchup, rice vinegar and sesame oil, and season generously with salt. Stir until smooth. (See Tip.)
5. Drizzle most of the yum yum sauce over the fried rice in the skillet, leaving some back, if desired, to serve in a small dish on the side for dipping the shrimp.
Tip: Yum yum sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Sheet-pan gnocchi with mushrooms and spinach
This sheet-pan dinner is inspired by classic steakhouse sides: roasted mushrooms, creamy horseradish-mustard sauce, wilted spinach and roasted potatoes. Well, kind of. Instead of whole potatoes, this recipe uses store-bought gnocchi, a superspeedy stand-in that takes on the fun combination of browned and chewy when roasted. This dish is hearty enough to be a full meal, though it’d also make a great side to braised beans, roast chicken, a seared pork chop and, of course, steak.
By Ali Slagle
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients: • 1 lb mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake, oyster, maitake or cremini, trimmed and quartered (or cut into 1-inch pieces, if large)
• 1 (12- to 18-oz) package shelf-stable or refrigerated potato gnocchi
• 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
• 4 scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 5 oz baby spinach (about 5 packed cups)
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp prepared horseradish
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
Preparation:
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. On a sheet pan, toss together the mushrooms, gnocchi, 5 tablespoons olive oil, scallions and shallot. Season with salt and pepper, shake into an even layer, and roast without stirring until the gnocchi and mushrooms are golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the spinach and remaining tablespoon of oil, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Spread in an even layer, then return to the oven to roast until the spinach is tender, another 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the mustard, horseradish and honey until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add the butter and half the sauce to the sheet pan, and stir until melted and glazy. Eat with the remaining sauce on the side.
Salmon croquettes
These croquettes have what may just be the perfect texture combination: crispy outsides and tender insides. Made from simple ingredients, they’re also a great use of leftovers, putting to work those halves of onion and bell pepper from last night’s dinner, and any remaining salmon, though you can also use canned (boneless works best). The filling may be a little delicate when you put it together, but a quick pop in the fridge or freezer makes it easier to work with. Serve the croquettes alone as an appetizer with tartar sauce or hot sauce, or make them a bigger meal alongside grits.
By Millie Peartree
Yield: 2 main-course servings, 4 appetizer servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
• 1 (14-oz) can boneless, skinless salmon or 1 lb cooked salmon
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tsp seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay
• 1 tsp hot sauce, plus more for serving
• 1/2 tsp coarse kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tsp seasoning of choice, such as onion powder, garlic powder, paprika or a combination
• Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
• Tartar sauce, for serving (optional)
Preparation:
1. If using canned salmon, drain and discard the liquid. Flake the salmon into a large bowl; set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium and saute peppers and onions until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds; let cool slightly.
3. Add the sauteed veggies to the bowl with the salmon, along with 1 egg, 1/4 cup flour, the parsley, seafood seasoning, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, or pop into the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes. 4. Using your hands, shape the chilled mixture into 1-inch-thick patties.
5. Set up three separate plates or shallow bowls: one filled with the remaining 1/4 cup flour, another with the egg and a third with the panko. Season the panko with the seasoning of your choice, then lightly dip each croquette into the flour, egg then panko, coating to cover. Set the croquettes aside.
6. Wipe off the same pan, and heat about 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil over medium. Drop a breadcrumb in the oil, and see if it sizzles.
7. Gently place croquettes in oil, making sure not to crowd the pan, and pan fry until golden brown on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.
8. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and serve warm, with tartar sauce or hot sauce if desired.