Deep-Fried Tofu Simmered with Tomatoes

Tofu is one of our main proteins in everyday cooking.  It appears frequently and my family always have many different recipes of cooking tofu.  Some people are turn off because of the texture and the bland taste of it, but when it's paired with a good recipe the tofu will become a perfect canvas.  It absorbs flavors from spices and sauces, so look for recipes that features assertive ingredients.  

Take this recipe; it's a very simple one but it has all the components that make a great dish.  Sweet, salty, and a bit sour, and the tofu soaks up all these wonderful combo flavors.  I paired this with one or two other dishes, maybe a vegetable and another protein.  Along with steamed rice, I can make dinner quickly.

If you don't want to fry your own tofu, there's fried tofu available in most Asian markets.  I do buy those because I don't always have the time to fry it.

Deep-Fried Tofu Simmered with Tomatoes

Makes 4 to 6 servings as part of a multicourse family-style meal

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

12-ounce package fried tofu (try to find a package with eighteen 1-by 2-inch rectangular pieces)

1 1/2 pounds (about 4 medium) tomatoes, cut into 8 wedges each

1/4 cup fish sauce

2 tablespoon sugar

2 green onions, green parts only, chopped

Coat the bottom of a large nonstick skillet with the oil.  Arrange the tofu pieces side-by-side in a single layer.  Wedge the tomatoes in wherever you can around the tofu.  If you have to pile the tomatoes on top of the tofu to form a second layer, that's okay.

In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce and sugar together.  Pour over the tofu and tomatoes in the skillet.  Scatter the green onions over the top.  Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Cook until the tomatoes soften and their juices are released, 10 to 15 minutes.  The skins will also start to peel away from the flesh.  Serve hot with freshly steamed rice.

Source:  The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook by Patricia Tanumihardja

Marionberry Pie

I'm back blogging after being absent for a while.  I was away on a vacation to California the last week of June and was back in town just before the 4th of July to enjoy it at home.  As usual, fireworks were being deployed in the front yard by a happy teen and the performance was highly encouraged by his parents and grandparents.  I'm glad to be back home again; the vacation was normally a satisfying break from daily grind because we got to spend time as a family together, saw friends and family member, and enjoyed unfamiliar scenery.  

Summer has been a gorgeous season here in Oregon.  While we're away the temperature stayed in the upper 90's to sometime 100's.  As a result the fruits have been bountiful and I got to enjoy plenty of Oregon berries.  I've canned strawberries and raspberries as jams and doled out a few jars to a friend and family member in California.  After I went back home I looked for farm that has U-pick Marionberry as I seldom pick these in the summer.  Weird, huh, because these are supposed to be the berry of Oregon, the native child of the state.  There's one farm out in Beaverton that has U-pick Marionberry, which my son and I went to last weekend, called Hoffman Farm.  It was bit of a drive but it was beautiful out in the country.  We got still plentiful of berries despite the long and thorny vines that we had to avoid.  We also picked some blackberries and raspberries though they're almost out mostly because the heat baked them on the vines.  

I managed to make jam from these beauty and still have leftover.  I then decided to try a pie using filling that's prepared with a different method.  I've used Clear Jel from making canned pie filling before and I decided to utilize it again this time.  Berry pie filling always has lots of water in it that by using Clear Jel I can avoid overly runny filling.  The crust is all-butter crust which smells yummy during baking time.  In the end, even if the filling is still a bit runny, the crust collapse here and there, it's still a delicious pie that's even better with whipped cream or ice cream.

So here is my hard-earned prize after a hard-worked day of picking berries!

Marionberry Pie

Makes 1 9-inch pie

1 cup + 2 Tablespoons chilled unsalted butter

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

3 Tablespoons ice water

Cut butter into 1" pieces.  Chill it while you measure other ingredients.  Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  Add the butter and toss until coated.  Using your fingers and palms, work the butter into smaller, irregular pieces, moving quickly and aggressively, so it stays cold.  You want some pieces pressed flat and thin and others that are larger and chunkier.

Combine the vinegar and ice water in a small cup.  Drizzle the liquid over the flour mixture, running your fingers through the flour as go to evenly distribute.  Knead in the bowl until the dough starts to hold together.  It will still look a little dry, but resist the urge to add more water; excess liquid can lead to a tough dough.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface (no extra flour needed) and smash with the heels of your hands a few more times, working in any shaggy edges.  You should still see large-ish pieces of butter and maybe a dry spot here and there.

Cut dough in half.  Press each half into a 1"-inch thick disk and wrap in plastic.  Chill at least 1 hour (and up to 3 days) to firm up the butter and allow the dough to hydrate.

While the dough chills, make the filling.

Marionberry Pie Filling

Makes 4 cups

3 1/2 cups Marionberries

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon Clear Jel

1 1/3 cups cold water

1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Place sugar and Clear Jel in a large saucepan, whisk to combine thoroughly.  Tip in the water and boil the mixture over medium high heat; stirring constantly.  Cook until the mixture begins to thicken.  It will turn from the milky white color to a clear color.  Once the mixture thickens, add lemon juice and cook for 1 minute; stirring constantly.

Remove the mixture from the heat and add in the berries.  Don't over stir, just fold them well.

Continue with making of the pie:  Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to a 13" round (about 1/4" thick).  Slide onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill while you roll out remaining dough to a rectangle, measuring 8" x 14" to make lattice top.  Cut this dough on the long side into strips, each strip measuring 2" x 14".  You want the strips to be a bit longer than the diameter of the pie round.  Any excess strip can be cut with scissors later.  Slide strips onto parchment-lined baking sheet and chill.

Transfer the round dough into a pie dish; lift up edges to allow dough to slump down into dish.  Scrape in the filling.  Beat in 1 large egg with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl.  Brush outer edge of bottom dough with half of the egg wash; then weave lattice strips over filling.  Cut excess strips and press each strip to the edges.  Fold over the rest of the dough that's hanging out on the dish.  Brush pie with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons demerara or granulated sugar.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set pie dish on top.  Bake pie until crust is deep golden brown on top and bottom and juices are bubbling, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  If the top is browning too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil loosely.  Let the pie cool at least 4 hours before slicing.

Sources adapted from:

Bon Appetit, June 2015 (Pie Crust)

The Creative Home, July 2011 (Pie Filling)

Raspberry Cream Cheese Tart

Great, another raspberry post?  Yes, but I can convince you that this tart is worth the steps to make.  It's flaky at the bottom, tangy and creamy in the middle followed by sweet-tart burst of raspberry on the top.  This reminds me of clafouti which I also love; there's few custard type desserts I don't like!

Raspberry Cream Cheese Tart

Serves 8


For the pastry dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk

For the filling:
4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup granulated sugar
A pinch of grated nutmeg
3 large eggs, beaten
Zest of 1 lemon
12 oz (350 g) raspberries
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting


To make the pastry dough:  Place the flour, butter and sugar in a food processor, and pulse until it resembles bread crumbs.  Alternately, to make by hand, rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles bread crumbs, then stir in the sugar.

Add the egg yolk to the mixture and mix to a firm dough.  Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and use to line the pan.  Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork and chill for 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 400F.

Line the crust with wax paper and fill with baking beans.  Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and bake for another 10 minutes, or until pale golden.  Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350F.

To make the filling:  Beat cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar together until smooth.  Add the nutmeg, eggs, and lemon zest; beat again until well combined.  Pour into the crust and scatter the raspberries over the surface.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until just set.  Set aside to cool before transferring to a serving plate.  Serve warm or wold, dusted with confectioners' sugar.


Source:  Pies:  Sweet and Savory by Caroline Bretherton

Chocolate Raspberry Trifle

A few days ago my husband and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary and the day after that he celebrated his birthday.  There's no big celebration--we're not party people-- other than going to a dinner with my parents last weekend; in fact, they've also had their wedding anniversary this month.  May is such a celebration month for our families, and the fact that it's when flowers are blooming makes it even better.  I'm such a flower person nowadays, an affection that I don't know where it comes from since I was quite a tomboy growing up.  It might have grown from the time I picked a camera and started shooting.

In the midst of work, chores and school stuff, I managed to make a trifle for us to enjoy this week.  Trifle is a great way to use cake, fruits and mousse together in a relaxed arrangement.  This chocolate and raspberry trifle called my name even if making it took more steps than I wanted too.  First it was the cake, then it's the mousse, then it's the whipped cream.  Between making those components, I also sneaked in strawberry jam making.  I was exhausted! :)  But once it's done, it's worth the time and effort of making it.  The chocolate cake is tender and in need of creamy daub which the mousse comes in place; that mousse is so good and custardy that eating it alone would not considered a sin.  Tart raspberries and soft whipped cream finish off the dessert to a perfection.

A slight modification is as follow:  the chocolate cake recipe is from King Arthur Flour website while the mousse and whipped cream recipe is from original Family Circle magazine.  I added freeze-dried raspberry crumbles for extra oomph and cocoa powder dusting at the end.  And I made several mini version of it for my husband's lunch box, those little jars make it easy to transport.

Chocolate Raspberry Trifle

Makes 24 servings


1 box (16.25 oz.) chocolate cake mix, or try this Self-Rising Chocolate Cake from King Arthur Flour, baked in the same size of pan
2 large eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
4 large egg yolks
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut up
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 ½ cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 packages (6 oz each) fresh raspberries
Chocolate curls or cocoa powder, for garnish


Heat oven to 350F.  Coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Line bottom with wax paper; coat paper with spray.  Prepare cake mix as per package directions with eggs, oil and 1 ¼ cups water.  Bake at 350F for 35 minutes or until cake springs back when pressed.  Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; invert directly onto rack, remove paper and cool completely.

While cake cools, in a large metal bowl, combine egg yolks, ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup water and butter.  Place bowl over a pot of simmering water.  Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is pale and thickened and registers 160F on an instant-read thermometer, about 7 minutes.  Remove bowl from saucepan and whisk in chocolate until smooth.  In a separate bowl, beat 1 cup of the cream with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the vanilla until medium-firm peaks form.  Fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture until no white remains.  Cover surface directly with plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Once cake has cooled, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes.  Whip remaining 1 ½ cups cream with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar to medium-firm peaks.  Begin layering trifle:  Spoon half the cake cubes into a 4-quart glass bowl or dish.  Compress slightly.  Spread half the chocolate mousse (about 1 ½ cups) over cake cubes.  Top mousse with 1 pkg of the raspberries and half the whipped cream (about 1 ½ cups).  Repeat layering and garnish with chocolate curls or cocoa powder.  Serve immediately or refrigerate up to overnight until serving.


Source:  adapted from Family Circle magazine, February 2015

Strawberry Genoise with Whipped Cream

Seeing strawberries in the market made me wanting to eat strawberry shortcake with lots of whipped cream.  But I like my cake to be the one that's soft and light, which I found the answer in this genoise.    Airy genoise is made by warming the egg and sugar and then it's whipped into a billowing mixture.  Flour and melted butter are folded in quickly as to not lose the air, pop it in the oven for 20 minutes and voila, the cake is done.  Next, prepare lots of strawberries, slices and whole.  Dry them well after washing because you don't want too much moisture in the cake.

The last thing to do is eating it--it's more fun than making the cake! Ha!  Sliced strawberries are sandwiched in between the layers--with whipped cream--and more whipped cream on the outside.  I'm so in love!

Strawberry Genoise with Whipped Cream

Makes 1 9-inch cake, serves 8 to 10


For the genoise:
4 eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup cake flour, sifted
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling and finish:
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon kirsch
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
3 cups strawberries, hulled and cut into ½-inch slices, plus more 10-12 strawberries, for garnish


To make the genoise:  Preheat oven to 375F.  Line the bottom of a 9-by-3-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar by hand until combined.  Place the bowl over but not touching simmering water in a saucepan.  Gently whisk until the mixture registers 140F on an instant-read thermometer, about 3 minutes.  Put the bowl on the mixer and beat with the whisk on high speed until the mixture is pale and almost tripled in volume, 5 to 8 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the mixer.  Sift the flour over the egg mixture in 2 additions and carefully fold in with a large rubber spatula.  Fold a large dollop into the melted butter, then fold back into the egg mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.  Bake until the top of the cake is browned, about 20 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Run a table knife around the edge of the pan and invert the cake onto a work surface.  Turn the cake right side up, leaving the parchment paper in place.  Cut the cake into 2 equal layers.  Put the top layer, cut side up, on a serving plate.

To make the filling and finish:  In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the granulated sugar and water.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.  Remove from the heat and let the sugar syrup cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, stir together the kirsch and sugar syrup.  Brush the cake with about half of the syrup. Whip the cream and confectioners' sugar to soft peaks.  Place the sliced strawberries in a bowl.  Fold about one-fourth of the cream into the berries.  Spread the mixture evenly on top of the cake.  Position the remaining cake layer, cut side down, on top.  Peel off the paper.  Brush with the remaining syrup.  Spread the top and sides of the cake with the remaining whipped cream.

Decorate the top of the cake with whole strawberries.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Source:  adapted from William-Sonoma Collection Series Cake, by Fran Gage