Things to do with Tarragon

Seriously, until like March of this year I didn't even know what Tarragon looked like.  A friend of our's sent some home with us after a ski trip (he'd dried it the year before) and then a week later a coworker gave me a ziploc bag of fresh Tarragon.  What the heck do I do with Tarragon?  I had one recipe in mind...  Tarragon Pistachio Pesto.  Here's the original:

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/quick-recipes/2011/04/chicken_skewers_with_tarragon_pistachio_pesto

I've used it a few times for Pesto.  You don't need a lot.  To me, when you chop it Tarragon has a licorice odor.  I will only use 1-2 tbsp in a dish because I'm worried it will quickly overpower everything.  But in small doses you just get this barely sweet, flowery taste in the background.

The other night I made risotto:  chop 1/2 an onion and begin sauteeing it with some olive oil.  At the same time, start 5 cups of chicken broth simmering in another pan. After about 5 minutes of sauteeing the onions, add 1 cup Arborio rice.  Cook this for about 5 more minutes on medium heat.  Add 1 ladle-full of broth to the pan.  Stir.  Let the rice absorb the broth.  Repeat.  Stir frequently. When you are down to the last bit of broth, (about 20 minutes later), add 1/2-1 cup frozen green peas.  Add the last bit of broth.  When it's almost all absorbed, add 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, 1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley and 1-2 tbsp tarragon.  REALLY good!

Tonight we sauteed some onions and yellow summer squash.  "What would be good with this?" I wondered.  My first thought?  Bacon.  I cooked up 1 tiny slice all chopped up and added in about 3/4 of an onion.  Once those were super soft I took them out of the pan and slid in 2 sliced up summer squashes.  Squashes?  Squash?  Anyway, I let those cook down with a bit of water, then I let them start to brown a bit with the heat turned up to around 7.  Once I thought they were almost done, I threw in the onions, bacon, and again about 1/2 cup parsley and 1 tbsp tarragon.  Trust me, that is PLENTY but it really adds a different flavor.

I didn't start cooking with any fresh herbs until a few years ago, and if all you have is dried?  That's fine.  Just use double the amount.  I'm lucky to have friends with fresh herbs growing :)  My sis says most fresh herbs are anti-inflammatories, so that's one more reason to use them!

Because you don't feel like cooking a big meal every night

It was rainy today.  Rainy and cold and gross.  My original plan had been to use some flounder and make fish tacos.  However, the rain put me in the mood for soup.  I had this soup in the cabinet.  I bought it the other day on a whim while looking for low sodium vegetarian soups.

The soup was fabulous!  Of course I did add more salt and pepper :)  We had cheese, caramelized onion and mushroom quesadillas with our soup, and both of us added parsley and sour cream to the soup too.  It was super creamy and slightly sweet tasting.  It made for an easy dinner and an easy clean up!   To see more about Pacific Organic Foods, click here!

Fried Rice made with Brown Rice and....Tofu!

That's right I said it.  Tofu!  Once you've had the deep-fried sesame tofu at Zen Garden, you realize tofu can, in fact, be tasty.  Voodoo Biker and I agreed yesterday to again try to cut back on meat, so I figured what the heck?  He wanted brown rice and a stir-fry/fried rice dish seemed appropriate. 

I used extra firm tofu.  Drain all the water out.  I only used half.  Make sure that when you cut slices, you lay them on paper towels so that any excess water can drain out.  Pat the pieces dry very well!

I used my basting brush to dab Yoshida's Teriyaki Marinade on both sides.  You can use Kikkoman or whatever, but make sure it's a marinade and not just the regular teriyaki sauce.

Next I breaded the tofu in Panko bread crumbs (you can find them in the Asian section).  I added about 1/2 tsp garlic powder and powdered ginger to the breadcrumbs before coating.

Heat about 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok or large, deep pan.  Cook the tofu for about 5 minutes, flip, and cook for another 2-3 until it's brown all the way around.

Take out the tofu, add a little more oil, and stir fry whatever veggies you want.  I used about 1 cup broccoli, 1 cup onion, 1/2 cup - 1 cup red bell pepper, and about 1/2 cup sugar snap peas.  Add in 2 tsp grated fresh ginger and about 1 tbsp teriyaki marinade.  Cook quickly over medium-medium high heat for about 6 minutes.  Remove the veggies and throw in 1 cracked egg.  Stir quickly, pan-scrambling.  After you remove the egg, add a little more oil to the pan and then add leftover, or refrigerated rice.  (Same amount you'd normally make - 1 cup dry).  Continually stir the rice for a few minutes.  Add in 1 tbsp teriyaki marinade.  Take the rice off the heat and add the veggies and egg back in.  Mix everything together.  Top with the tofu and then drizzle with about 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce and 1 tsp red pepper flakes.