Tofu gone wrong

So I attempted to cook tofu for the first time. And let me just say, it wasn't the tofu-virginity-losing-experience I had hoped and wished for. This is sad because I had such high hopes! But I promise to press on and not let this experience ruin tofu cooking forever.

Anyway - to the recipe. I thought that Martha's Sauteed Tofu with Bitter Greens looked beyond fabulous. And, as I had a pound of firm lite tofu in my fridge rearing to go, I was excited to give it a try.

It definitely wasn't as easy as I thought it would be and was a bit time consuming. First, I had to drain the water out of the tofu. I placed the tofu under a kitchen towel with cans on top of it and left the tofu in the fridge for over 30 minutes.

While this drained, I whipped together the sauce in a matter of minutes. I combined soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, lemon juice (substituted for lime juice) and grated ginger. I skipped the hot ingredients because I wasn't too in the mood for something spicy.

Next, I had to soak the tofu in the sauce for another 30 minutes, allow it to absorb the flavoring. I threw the tofu and sauce into a saucepan and browned the tofu on both sides. After things heated up, I added in collard greens. I removed the collard greens once they had wilted substantially.

The food smelled absolutely delicious, particularly because of the sesame oil, which has a fantastic aroma. However, it just... did not taste good. I know that they call collards "bitter greens," but they tasted especially bitter. I normally like a good collard green every now and again, but the sauce just didn't do these any justice. The tofu, while more edible, was a little too sour - I assume because I substituted lemon for lime. It just didn't have the complex, flavorful taste I had expected.

I haven't given up yet, though! Tofu - bring it on. I will conquer you the next time.

P.S. I am officially obsessed with kale chips. I made them again this week and have been snacking on them constantly.

Recipe (from http://www.marthastewart.com/260951/sauteed-tofu-with-bitter-greens)

Ingredients

• One 1-pound block extra-firm tofu
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon chili paste or Tabasco (optional)
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 pounds bitter greens, such as collard, mustard, baby bok choy, or dandelion, washed, trimmed, and torn into pieces
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, lightly toasted
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Cut tofu in half lengthwise, then cut each piece across into 6 slices. Place tofu on a paper-towel-lined plate. Cover with more paper towels; place another plate on top. Weight with a few soup cans. Chill 30 minutes so towels absorb excess water.
   
2. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce; sesame oil; chili paste or Tabasco, if using; lime juice; ginger; and garlic. Set aside. Transfer tofu to medium bowl; toss with half the marinade; let sit for 30 minutes.
   
3. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, arrange tofu in a single layer in pan. Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to platter; repeat with remaining tofu. Gradually add greens to skillet with remaining marinade. Cook, tossing occasionally, until greens are wilted and most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to platter with tofu. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and red pepper; serve.

Tuna, steak-style

I have had a tuna steak in my freezer for months, and it's taken me that long to decide what to do with it. For some reason, I always put tuna at the top of the fish pedestal, and I really didn't want to "waste" it with a boring old recipe.

Today, I decided that the time had come and, come Hell or high water, I was going to cook up the tuna steak and eat it.

I decided to go the simple route; after all, for me the tuna is delicious in and of itself. Martha had an incredible-looking recipe for Grilled Tuna Steaks with Japanese-Style Marinade, which seemed like a great introduction to cooking tuna. 

And it was super simple! I mixed together the rice vinegar, canola oil, soy sauce, ginger and sugar that the Japanese sauce called for. As I don't have a grill, I sauteed the tuna on the stove - which took all of five minutes.

The tuna was delicious, if a bit over-cooked, and the sauce complemented the fish very well. Nothing like a quick and dirty tuna recipe that is filling, healthy and tasty to boot.

Recipe

Ingredients

 Serves 4

• 4 tuna steaks, 3/4 inch thick and about 6 ounces each
• Japanese Marinade
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat grill to high; oil grates. Place 4 tuna steaks (each 3/4 inch thick and about 6 ounces) in a shallow dish or resealable plastic bag. Add Japanese Marinade; turn to coat. Cover; marinate 15 to 30 minutes in refrigerator, turning fish occasionally.
2. Just before grilling, remove from refrigerator; remove tuna from marinade. Season with salt and pepper. Grill fish until charred on the outside but still pink inside, 2 to 5 minutes per side.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Grilled Tuna Steaks with Japanese Marinade - Martha Stewart Recipes