Crave Wednesday: Lemongrass Tofu Banh Mi

As you may or may not have heard, Southern California was hit with a record amount of rain this year.

There's a saying that "April showers bring May flowers" but when you live in a desert, that timeline changes a little.  In our case, March brought with it a "super bloom,"  an explosion of wildflowers that has blanketed the once barren desert.

Thatboy and I haven't ventured to Anza Borrego since before the boys were born, but we didn't want to miss out on the blooms, so we decided there was no time like the present for a return visit.

Upon our arrival, Thatkid grabbed the wildflower guide and made himself the unofficial guide, leading us around and pointing out the different varieties.

Our guide wasn't just interested in the flowers though, he was also interested in hiking up to various boulders and climbing them.

Thatdog and I, who had no interest in climbing big rocks, waited for them in the shade at the bottom.

The flowers themselves were everything I had hoped for.   I had set up Thatkid before we went, remembering that I was disappointed on my first trip out, after hearing about the amazing wildflowers growing in the desert. 

We spoke about how there is very little water in the desert, so things that grow there are small, conserving whatever nutrients they can and not wasting it on giant blooms or leaves.  And I reminded him that typically the desert is just brown brush and sand.  He took our discussion to heart and was appropriately wowed by the flora.

Some areas were a pastel wonderland.  A carpet of small purple and white buds.

Just a few feet away were fields of yellow.

One thing that is fairly well known about the desert is the heat - even in March.  And although that's fairly well known, I still had romantic visions of sitting on a blanket in the middle of the flowers, and having a picnic lunch.  The reality of the situation had us sitting in the back of our air-conditioned car.  Still picnicking, and still viewing the flowers, but not surrounded by them. 

I packed us desert appropriate sandwiches - cool as a cucumber, or a radish, or a carrot.  Or all three!  Banh Mi are Vietnamese sandwiches, usually served on a french baguette.  When I was in high school, we were close enough to a Vietnamese sandwich shop to have them on a regular basis.  And although they are certainly not seasonal, there is something about them that just seems like a summer picnic food.  I think it might be the pickled vegetables, the crisp cucumber, and the freshness of the bread.  This one especially plays on bright summery flavors with the addition of lemongrass.   And while most banh mi are not vegetarian, this one uses tofu, marinated in that lemongrass, which also makes it feel like a light lunch.

Lemongrass Tofu Bahn Mi (From Cooking Light)

1 package extra firm tofu

2 Tbsp finely chopped, peeled, fresh lemongrass

2 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp lower-sodium soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil, divided

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 Tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp matchstick cut carrots

1 1/4 cup matchstick cut peeled daikon radish

1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

3 Tbsp canola mayonnaise

1 1/2 tsp Sriracha

1 French bread baguette, halved lengthwise and toasted.

1 cup thinly sliced English cucumber

1. Cut tofu crosswise into 6 slices.  Wrap in paper towels and top with cast iron skillet or heavy pan.  Let stand 15 minutes.  Remove  tofu from paper towels.
2.  Combine lemongrass, 2 Tbsp water, soy sauce, and 1 tsp sesame oil in 13 x 9 inch baking dish.  
3. Arrange tofu slices in a single layer in soy mixture, turning to coat.  Let stand 15 minutes.
4. Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve.  
5. Add carrots and radish, toss well.  Let stand 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Drain.
6. Stir in cilantro. 
7. Whisk 1 tsp sesame oil, mayonnaise, and Sriracha in a small bowl.  Spread evenly over cut sides of bread.
8. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Remove tofu from marinade, discard marinade.   Pat tofu slices dry with paper towels.  Add tofu slices to pan.  Cook 4 minutes on each side or until crisp and golden.  
9. Arrange tofu slices on bottom half of bread.  
10. Top tofu slices with carrot mixture and cucumber slices.  Cut baguette crosswise into 6 equal pieces.

good morning starshine

 

During Passover I attempted to make apple muffins.  After they exploded all over my oven what remained lacked the typical muffin consistency.  Always a problem with Passover baked goods.  They ended up more like apples in crumbs.

Now that Passover is over, I can return to the muffins I love so very much.  Blueberry are one of my favorite muffins.  I prefer pumpkin muffins, but blueberry muffins have the added benefit of being associated with childhood memories.  Because Thatmom used to make blueberry muffins for special morning breakfasts.  

We didn't do pancakes - we were muffin people.  So blueberry muffins will always remind me of coming out to breakfast with giant muffins, sprinkled with sugar, waiting - fresh from the oven.

I can never get my sugar sprinkles to work out the way Thatmom did.  She must have had a touch of magic with her.  But even without sugar on top, a blueberry muffin is one of the best ways to start the day.

 

“Ok… Just One More” Blueberry Muffins  (from Chasing Delicious)

1 1/2 Pints blueberries

2 1/4 cups sugar

18 tablespoons butter (2 1/4 sticks)

4 eggs

8 ounces cream cheese

1/3 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350. 
2. In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes.)
3. Add the cream cheese and blend
4. Add each egg, one at a time, mixing well until the egg is completely blended in.
5. Add the milk and vanilla and mix well. 
6. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt & cinnamon.
7. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until just combined.
8. Toss the blueberries in a tablespoon of sugar. Then fold the blueberries into the batter taking care not to break the berries or overmix the batter.
9. Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake pans. Each cup should be filled to just above the top. Bake for about 25 minutes.

Have you ever BEEN to a botanical garden?

China claims to be a blog reader, but when she makes statements asking us if we’ve been to a botanical garden, it’s clear she hasn’t. I mean, 2010 was clearly the “year of the flower.” And even though we’re in 2011, it hasn’t changed our interest in all things flora. We had some time to kill after dropping Thatmom off at the airport before our flight later in the afternoon. Since the Phoenix Botanical Garden was close, had free parking, and Toxicesq was a member, we thought it would be an excellent way to kill a few hours. China wasn’t in total agreement. Luckily we live in a democracy, and a 3 to 1 vote meant we were off to explore cacti and succulents.

(Poor China, she’s such a good sport. I swear we drag her to a million places she’s not interested in.)

When we arrived at the gardens we were greeted by their Chihuly installment. TMIL is a HUGE Chihuly fan. She has prints, books, she ventures to visit exhibitions as often as possible.

Personally, I’ve never really “gotten” it. I mean, I like glass as much as the next guy, and I’ll never turn down an opportunity to watch a glass blower at work. (I’m sure they have a fancier name than glass blower, but this way you all know what I mean.) But squiggly colored glass just doesn’t send me flying. The Chihuly at the botanical garden though was just PERFECT. I loved it. It’s my favorite of his pieces. Mostly because I love the imitation/contrast of putting it against the natural counterparts.

The green spikes perfectly reflect the spikey palms growing beside. It is both completely organic and completely artificial.

We weaved through the garden, examining the various types the cactus in much the same way as the “party game” Thatboy came up with. It involved partygoers trying to weave their way between tightly planted cacti. The person with the least amount of needles stuck in them would be the winner. I don’t see Milton Bradley contacting us anytime soon.

This guy is honestly called the "old man" cactus. How adorable is he? He's like the cute little old man who lives around the corner. Not the creepy old guy who sometimes forgets to tie his robe.



It was too early for most of the cacti to be in bloom, but this one is an early riser.



Thatboy was amazed by how big these barrels were. They look like cushions to me!



Century plants take 100 years to bloom, and then they die. I'm still trying to figure out if that's a good deal or not.

And in honor of the end of our Arizona trip, this Southern-at-heart girl gives you a twist on the typical southern grit. Cheese grits are a quintessential Southern treat, but stir in some green chiles and you've got the perfect combination of creamy with a kick. Like the Chihuly, it's a little bit spikey, and a little bit natural, and oh so perfect in its environment.

Phoenix Grits
1 cup grits
3 cups milk
1 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
6 Tbsp butter
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green chiles

1. Preheat oven to 350. Heat the milk over medium high heat in a saucepan.
2. Stir in the grits and salt, stirring often so the milk doesn't burn. When it is thick, remove from the heat.
3. Add the eggs and 1 cup water, stirring.
4. Return to heat and cook until thickened again.
5. Stir in the butter, cheese, and chiles. Spread in a casserole and bake for 30 minutes.