Recipes as Inspiration (Tomato & Thai Basil Relish)

I recently found myself needing something quick for dinner, so I turned to my beloved cookbook, Vegetarian Suppers. I found a recipe for Skillet Seared Tofu with Tomato and Thai Basil relish. I had tofu in my fridge, gorgeous tomatoes from the farmers market, and thai basil in my garden. Sounded perfect. Then I looked at the rest of the ingredients and I only had about half of them. I took the ingredient list as mere suggestion and got started anyway. The result was pure heaven.

Here's the list of ingredients in the recipe and then what I used instead:

2 medium tomatoes - I had this. Great!

1 small shallot or a few scallions - I used 1/2 sweet onion from my fridge

small handful Thai Basil - I had this. I threw in the amount that looked right.

dozen small mint leaves - I had this in my garden

1 t. roasted peanut or sesame oil - I used garlic-infused olive oil

juice and zest of 1 lime - I had this.

2 t. freshly grated ginger - all I had were dehydrated ginger bits. I rehydrated them in some boiling water and chopped them up. I also chopped up a dried red chile and put it in the boiling water to rehydrate as well.

1 garlic clove - I was out of garlic, so I used a little garlic powder

sea salt - yes

small splash of soy sauce - I only had Hoisin Sauce, a sweet, thick Asian sauce. I used it anyway.

I put everything in a bowl and mixed it up. The soy sauce is really intended for deglazing the pan while you cook the tofu, but I put it in the bowl with everything else. When it came time to deglaze the tofu, I just used some of the juice from the bowl (super yummy).

Here's the basic method

Slice 1 carton of tofu into 6-8 pieces and blot it with a paper towel. I cut it in half long way to make thinner slabs, and then cut the 2 slabs into triangles.

Heat some oil in a skillet and add the tofu. Sprinkle with salt. When it stops twitching around, check to see if it is browned on the cooking side. If it isn't, leave it a little longer. Turn and cook the other side, about 10 minutes in all. Shake on some liquid (like soy sauce or the juices from your bowl of tomatoes and other goodies) and continue cooking until it evaporates and the tofu is seasoned and glazed. I sometimes turn the tofu during this process and sometimes don't. I just try to get the tofu coated with the sauce.

Remove from heat, top with tomato salsa mixture and serve. I served this on a bed of arugula, which was fabulous.

Winter Squash Green Curry

Oh my goodness, this is good. I only recently learned that the term "curry" just means a combination of spices. This combination of herbs and spices is all fresh (well, nearly) - no curry powder, no pre-prepared curry paste - you make your own. This is SOOO tasty and so worth the effort. I will absolutely be making this again. The recipe says it serves four, but my husband and I had it 3 times with some still left in the freezer. This makes it economical in addition to being super tasty.

This dish features, mushrooms, eggplant, tofu (though you could substitute chicken or some other form of meat), and of course, butternut squash. I used those long, skinny Asian eggplant for this dish. I found them at my local Asian market. They sometimes come in my CSA box, too. I'm sure any eggplant will do. I must admit that I am only beginning to get comfortable with eggplant, but it blended perfectly into this dish and I didn't even really know it was there. The real star of this dish is the homemade curry paste and the coconut milk. YUM!

Let's Get Started

Before you make your own super-fresh curry paste, you should start some rice cooking and prep your veggies. (I put a few slices of ginger into my rice, which turned out very nicely.)

Pour 1 and 1/2 cups boiling water over 8 dried shiitake mushrooms. (Dried shiitakes were ridiculously expensive, so I bought fresh since they happened to be there. I paid only $1.32 for 10 shiitakes. Since the recipe called for the soaking liquid later on, I decided to clean the mushrooms and then pour hot water over them to have some broth to use later in the recipe. It worked.) Quarter 2 long skinny eggplants (6 oz. each) and cut them into 1/2 inch dice. Sprinkle with salt and set them in a colander to drain. Peel 1 small butternut squash (1 1/4 pounds or so), scoop out and discard the seeds and inner pulp, and cut it into 3/4 inch chunks.

While the mushrooms are soaking and the eggplant is expelling water, you can get started on the curry paste. (I actually made this several hours in advance of preparing the rest of the meal, though it didn't actually take that long, especially with a food processor.) Just put all the following ingredients in a food processor and pulse until you have a smooth paste. Add extra lime juice or water to loosen up the mixture if necessary:

• 3 or 4 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 -2 inch knob of ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 3 stalks lemon grass, just the tender centers
• 3-4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
• 2 shallots (1/3 cup), chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (it's fine to include the stems in this)
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1 t. ground cumin
• 2 t. ground coriander
• 1 t. salt
• zest and juice of one lime (Limes were really expensive and I had lemons on my tree, so I used those instead)

Once you have the curry paste prepared and waiting in the wings, remove the mushrooms from their soaking water, squeeze them out, and save the soaking water. Cut them into wide strips, discarding any tough stems. Rinse the eggplant and blot it dry.

Heat 1 T. oil (I used olive oil, but the recipe calls for peanut oil) in a wide skillet. Add the eggplant and turn it quickly in the oil to coat all pieces. Cook over medium-high heat just to brown the cut surface, 4 to 5 minutes. Open one can of coconut milk and have it standing by.

In a large dutch oven (big pot), heat 2 T. oil. Add the squash and cook over medium-high heat, turning every so often, until caramelized in places. After several minutes, add the eggplant, reduce the heat to medium. Pour in one can coconut milk, the mushroom soaking water, the mushrooms, and 2/3 of the curry paste. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the squash is tender, by which time the sauce will have lost its color.

While that is cooking, drain one block of tofu and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Juice one lime and have 6-8 thai basil leaves standing by.

After the 15 minutes are up, add the tofu and basil leaves, then simmer until the tofu is heated through (about 5 minutes). Stir in the lime juice. Taste for salt. Just before serving, stir in the remaining curry paste and garnish with basil sprigs.

Serve over rice. Enjoy the poppin' fresh goodness of all the yummy green things in this curry!

Deborah recommends a spicy, dry Gewurztraminer to go with this dish. I say drink whatever wine you have in your wine rack.

Approximate cost to prepare

Curry paste

3-4 large garlic cloves - $.50

1 heaping T. chopped ginger - $.50

3 stalks lemon grass - $.75

3-4 jalapeno peppers - $1.00

2 shallots - $.50

1/2 c. cilantro (including stems) - $.25

zest and juice of 1 lime - $.50

salt, pepper, cumin, coriander - negligible

The rest of the stuff

2 small oblong eggplants - $2.00

8 dried shiitake mushrooms ($5.00 or so. I only paid $1.32 for fresh ones)

1 small butternut squash (came from my garden, but I'm guessing $2.00)

1 can coconut milk $1.30

1 block firm tofu - $1.50

6 thai basil leaves - $.25

another lime - $.50

olive or peanut oil - negligible

1 cup rice - $.50

TOTAL - $13.15 for 6 servings or so. You don't really need a side dish with this meal. It freezes well.

Mushroom and Tofu Saute with Rice Noodles

I made this for my family on Thanksgiving weekend. The asian flavors were a welcome break from the usual Thanksgiving fare that everyone had the day before. I loved it and everyone else seemed to enjoy it, too. This would make an excellent weeknight meal. I used very skinny rice noodles because that was all I could find. I think it would be better with wider rice noodles, or maybe even soba or udon noodles. This was fairly simple to prepare and it only took about half an hour.

Let's get started

• Cook the rice noodles in boiling, salted water according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, and set aside.
• Cut one block of firm tofu into bite sized cubes. Simmer in boiling water for 2 minutes. Lift cubes out of the water and set them in a colander to drain.
• In a small bowl, combine 2 t. tamari or mushroom soy sauce, 3 T. naturally brewed soy sauce, and 2 T. brown sugar.
• Chop together 2 cloves garlic, 3 T. fresh tarragon, 1/2 t. salt, and freshly ground pepper. (I know 3 T. sounds like a lot of tarragon, but it blends beautifully into the dish. Don't be shy about using the full 3 T. of tarragon. This is almost a full bunch if you buy it at the supermarket.)
• Clean and trim 1 pound mushrooms, including some shiitakes, if possible. Cut into quarters or thick slices.
• Finely dice one large shallot (about 1/2 cup total)
• Heat a little peanut oil (or vegetable oil) in a skillet. Add the garlic mixture and stir fry for 20 seconds or so, then add the mushrooms and shallot. Saute over high heat until the juices have been released and then reabsorbed and the mushrooms have started to brown, (7 - 10 minutes).
• While that is cooking, finely slice 4 green onions and set aside.
• Add the tofu, followed by the soy mixture and the cooked noodles.
• Mix gently, taste for salt, transfer to a platter and serve garnished with green onions.

Things I'd do differently next time: Use wider rice noodles, or experiment with other types of noodles. This would also be good over rice.

Cost to prepare

3/4 pound mushrooms (white and cremini mix) - $3.75

1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms - $2.50

3 T. chopped tarragon - $1.50

3 T. chopped garlic (2-3 cloves) - $.30

1 carton firm tofu - $1.50

soy sauces - $1.00 (?)

1 large shallot - $.75

4 scallions - $.25

6 ounces dried rice noodles - $1.00

TOTAL - $12.55 for 4 people

Suggested wine - a spicy, dry Gewurztraminer

Brown Rice Supper with stir fried carrots and roasted peanut sauce

Have you ever been to a vegetarian restaurant of the 70s, hippy variety where all the food tastes bland and the texture is a little like cardboard? Where everything is whole wheat, no salt, no fat, and healthy in a way that makes you never want to eat healthy food again?

I was worried that this dish would be like that, but it is bright and popping with flavor. I didn't think I liked cooked carrots, but these are sweet and tender without being mushy. The peanut sauce is so fabulous, I couldn't stop sneaking little spoonfuls of it after the meal was over. The peanut sauce isn't the kind you find on satay in thai restaurants. It is made with lots of cilantro, mint, and lime which makes it very green and fresh. This dish is filling, comforting, and amazingly delicious. I'm really looking forward to making it again. If you don't like tofu, or you're craving some other type of protein, you could easily make it with chicken.

Here's how:

Rinse 1 1/2 cups brown basmati rice and put it in a pot with 3 3/4 cups water and 1/2 t. salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook until done, about 40 minutes.

Then make the peanut sauce. Toast 1/2 cup raw peanuts in 1 T. peanut oil in a skillet on the stove. Put the peanuts and the oil in a food processor, along with 1/2 c. chopped cilantro (I used about 1/2 a bunch with the stems cut off and let the food processor do the chopping for me), 1 T. chopped mint leaves (about 6 big leaves), the zest and juice of 2 limes, 2 garlic cloves, 1/4 t. chipotle powder or 1 serrano chile (I used the chipotle powder), 1 t. soy sauce, and salt to taste. Thin with water until you have the desired consistency.

Peel and cut 5 large carrots into mouthsized chunks. Peel and slice a 1-inch knob of ginger into thin strips. Heat 2 t. peanut oil in a skillet. When hot, add the ginger, then the carrots. Stir fry for several minutes and then add a few teaspoons soy sauce and stir fry for another minute. Pour in 1/2 cup water, cover the pan, and cook until the carrots are tender (5 minutes or more). While they're cooking, cut 4 scallions on the diagonal, including some of the greens. Remove the lid and add the scallions, cooking until the liquid is reduced to a glaze. Taste a carrot and season with salt, if desired.

Cut 1 carton of tofu into triangles or rectangles. Fry in a little peanut oil with a little salt until all the water cooks out and the tofu starts to color nicely. Cook on both sides. Add a little soy sauce to the pan to glaze the tofu.

Serve the rice, the carrots and the tofu, layered and arranged on plates. Dollop peanut sauce in several places and garnish with a little cilantro. Pass the remaining sauce at the table.

Approximate cost to prepare:

1 1/2 cups rice - $.75

5 large carrots - $.60

1-inch knob of ginger - $.25

soy sauce, peanut oil - negligible

4 scallions - $.25

1 carton tofu - $1.25

1/2 cup peanuts - $.50 (maybe less)

1/2 bunch cilantro - $.25

mint from my garden

2 limes - $.60

garlic and chipotle powder - negligible

TOTAL for 4 people = $4.45

Stir-Fried Sesame Broccoli with Tofu and Glass Noodles

I made this for dinner last night and I cheated in the weirdest way. I used half as much broccoli as the recipe called for and the full recipe of everything else. I figured a pound of broccoli was too much for the two of us. It turned out really yummy, but if I had used the full amount of broccoli we would have had the perfect amount of leftovers for another meal. The dish serves 4 and you really don't need anything else with it since it includes tofu, broccoli, and noodles.

Anyway, this is delicious and not too complicated. The flavors are mild, so if you're introducing people to a new "flavor profile" (to steal a wonderful phrase from my daughter and loyal follower, Brittany) this would be a good recipe to try. It's also a great way to introduce people to tofu because it is fried and wonderfully flavored. You could also use chicken in place of the tofu. No matter how you put this together it will be tasty, but I wish I had streamlined a bit and not made so many dirty dishes. I'm going to describe how to put this dish together in the order I wish I had done it, rather than the way I really did it.

This dish uses parboiled broccoli (and their stems) so they are bright and colorful and still crunchy. It also features bean thread noodles which you can find at your local Asian market really cheap, and shiitake mushrooms either dried or fresh. The recipe calls for dried shiitakes, so that's what I did, but it seems like it would be even easier to use fresh. If you're using fresh, you will need to add a little water to replace the soaking water from the mushrooms in the recipe.

First, start a big pot of water to boil. Make sure you have twice as much water as you need for cooking a pound of broccoli. Toast 1/4 cup sesame seeds and set aside to cool. Get out 3 medium to large bowls and a colander. If you use nesting bowls, they'll be easier to fit into the dishwasher. Also get out soy sauce, roasted sesame oil, mirin (japanese rice wine), and light sesame oil or peanut oil for frying. You can use 1 1/2 T. brown sugar in place of the mirin, if you don't have that in your cupboard, or if it is too expensive to buy. In the largest bowl, probably the one you will serve the finished dish in, put 2 fistfuls bean thread noodles (about 5 ounces). In the next bowl put 8 dried shiitake mushrooms. In the 3rd bowl, put 1 carton firm tofu, sliced into 3/4 inch cubes. Pour 2 T. soy sauce and 2 t. roasted sesame oil over the tofu, toss to combine and let them marinate.

Separate the broccoli into florets. Peel the broccoli stems and slice them into coins. Set them aside on your chopping board.

As soon as the water boils, use a ladle to transfer boiling water to the noodles (enough to cover) and the mushrooms (1 cup or so - enough to cover and rehydrate them) and set aside to soak. Salt the remaining boiling water and put the broccoli in to cook for 1 minute. Drain them in the colander and rinse with cold water. Don't wash the big pot. You will need it in a minute.

On your cutting board, slice 4 scallions, mince 2 garlic cloves, and mince a 1 1/2 inch knob of ginger. Set aside in one big pile

Heat 2 t. light sesame or peanut oil. Add the tofu. Cook without stirring until it begins to brown on one side. Nudge the pieces and turn them so they brown on all sides (or most sides). Add any remaining marinade to the pan to glaze the tofu, season with salt and set the tofu aside on a plate. Rinse or wipe out the skillet.

While the tofu is cooking, remove the mushrooms from the soaking water and set them on your chopping board. Strain the soaking water into the big pot (you'll need it soon) and rinse the bowl. In the bowl, combine 4 T. soy sauce and 2 T. mirin (or 1 1/2 T. brown sugar) and set aside. Remove and discard the stems from the mushrooms. Slice the mushrooms and add them to the soaking water.

Heat 2-3 t. oil in the skillet. Stir fry the scallions, garlic, and ginger for 30 seconds, then add the mushrooms with their soaking water. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the broccoli, the noodles, and the tofu. Pour the sauce over everything. When heated through, toss with the toasted sesame seeds and drizzle with a little more roasted sesame oil. Serve with a dry Pinot Blanc.

Things I'd do differently next time: I'd like to try this with fresh shiitakes instead of dried. Next time I will use a full pound of broccoli and have friends over or have more leftovers.

Approximate cost to prepare:

1 carton tofu - $1.50 (more or less depending on where you buy it)

5 ounces bean thread noodles - $.50

1 pound broccoli - $1.00

6 T. soy sauce, 4 t. roasted sesame oil, 2 T. mirin - unknown. The roasted sesame oil and the mirin are a bit expensive but you use them sparingly. I was going to buy mirin, but it was almost $10 for a bottle at my local market. I'll see if it is cheaper at the Asian market. Remember you can use brown sugar in place of the mirin to keep the cost down.

2 T. peanut oil - negligible

8 dried shiitake mushrooms - $3.00 (I don't know how much they would cost fresh)

1 1/2 inch knob of ginger - $.30

2 garlic cloves - negligible

4 scallions - $.30

1/4 cup sesame seeds - $.30

TOTAL - $6.90 for 4 people, plus investing in the sesame oil and mirin if you don't already have it.

Spicy Tofu with Thai Basil and Coconut Rice Cakes

I made this for an Easter potluck and everyone seemed to enjoy it. This dish is a little difficult to take for a potluck, since it needs to be served shortly after cooking, but it was ok lukewarm, too. The colors in this dish are gorgeous. the yellow rice, the slightly purple hues of the thai basil, the lime quarters and red peppers served alongside make this dish really attractive. This would be great for company.

I probably should have waited until Thai basil was really in season, but I was able to find some at the Asian market. The coconut rice cakes are really tasty and could be used as the base for a variety of stir fries. They are also a really gorgeous yellow color due to the saffron and turmeric. The warmth of the basil and the tang of the lime works really well together.

This dish takes some planning ahead because the rice needs to be refrigerated before you fry it. This is the same rice that is used in Black Beans and Yellow Rice, so it might be good to make extra when you make that recipe and use the leftover rice for this recipe. If you don't have time to make the rice in advance and fry it into little cakes, you can just serve the sauce over the warm coconut rice.

You start with the coconut rice: Bring 2 cups water, 1/2 can coconut milk, a couple pinches of saffron and 1/2 t. of turmeric to a boil. Add 1 1/2 cups rinsed basmati rice. Turn down the heat to very low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork when finished. Stir in 4 thinly sliced scallions, season with salt and pepper, and put the rice in a 9x12 pan. Sprinkle sesame seeds on the top, cover with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge.

When the rice is well chilled, cut it into diamonds or other shapes, and fry in a little peanut oil. Set fried cakes aside.

Cut up one carton of tofu into bite-sized triangles or diamonds. Fry it in a little peanut oil on both sides until golden. Season with salt, pepper, and the juice of 1/2 lime. Slide the tofu onto a plate and reheat the skillet with more oil.

While the tofu is cooking, stir together 1 t. brown sugar and 2 T. soy sauce until the sugar is dissolved. Chop 2 garlic cloves, thinly slice 3 large shallots, and chop 1 jalapeno chile. (Take out the seeds and veins if you want to limit the heat.)

When the oil is hot, stir fry the garlic, shallots, and jalapeno for 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce mixture, the rest of the coconut milk (1/2 a can), and 1/2 t. turmeric. Squeeze the other half of the lime over all and put the tofu back in the pan. When everything is warmed through, turn off the heat, taste for salt and add more salt or soy sauce as desired. Season with pepper. Stir in a handful of torn Thai basil leaves and a handful of torn mint leaves.

Arrange the coconut cakes on a platter or on individual plates. Add the tofu and sauce over the top and garnish with thai basil, especially the flowers. Serve with additional jalapeno and lime quarters.

Things I'd do differently next time: Rather than cutting the rice into squares to fry, I would shape it into ovals and refrigerate it that way. Also, the tofu wasn't very spicy, so I think I'll leave some of the seeds in the jalapeno next time.

Approximate cost to prepare:
1 1/2 cups basmati rice - $2.00 (or less)
1 can coconut milk - $1.25 (Ranges from $.89 - $1.99 at the Asian market, but more in specialty stores)
saffron - $2.00 (the little container of saffron cost 5 dollars. 2 pinches was about 1/3 of it.)
1 t. turmeric - $.20
4 scallions - $.15
1/3 cup sesame seeds - $3.00
peanut oil for frying - $.25
1 t. brown sugar, garlic - negligible
2 T. soy sauce - $.20
1 carton tofu - $1.20
2 limes - $.65
3 large shallots - $1.25
1 jalapeno chile - $.20
thai basil (half a bunch) - $1.00
handful of mint - growing in my back yard
1 red jalapeno or thai pepper, optional, or red pepper flakes - $.20
TOTAL - Approx. $12.35 for 4 servings. I had a lot of this stuff in my pantry.

I think this dish would cost about $18 per serving at a restaurant.

Seared Tofu with Miso Sauce

This is so fast and flavorful, you'll have it on the table in minutes and have people raving. There's a second sauce for this same style of tofu that I will try on another occasion. This miso sauce takes only a few minutes to put together and you can do it while the tofu is cooking. Some pretty garnish on top makes it look great, too. I suppose you could also make this with chicken if you wanted.

Take one container of firm tofu, cut it into 6 rectangular pieces, and fry it over medium high heat until golden on one side. Turn over and cook the other side until golden. Add a couple tablespoons of worcestershire or steak sauce. Most of it will cook away and what remains will glaze the tofu.

While the tofu is cooking, mix up the following ingredients in a bowl or food processor: 1/3 cup miso, 2 T. mirin, 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, 1 garlic clove, 1 t. sesame oil, a splash of soy sauce, 2-3 T. mayonnaise, and some salt and pepper. I didn't have enough mirin, so I used water to thin the sauce.

Put the sauce on the tofu pieces and put them under the broiler until the sauce blisters. Add a dollop more sauce and garnish with slivered green onions and slivered red peppers.

I also used a little of the miso sauce in a salad dressing I made up to go with this meal. It was about 1 T. soy sauce, 1 T. balsamic vinegar, 1 T. miso sauce, 1 t. sugar, salt, pepper, and olive oil. I put grapes in the salad, which I wasn't sure would work with the japanese tasting sauce, but it was great. I also put in the extra scallions and red peppers from the tofu dish, and some pine nuts I had in the freezer. It was yummy.

To round out the meal, I served roasted asparagus. Just drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper over asparagus and stick it in the oven at about 350 for 20 minutes. We took the whole meal out on the patio and enjoyed the first outdoor meal of many for the season. Welcome, spring!

Things I'd do differently next time: Make more tofu. We loved it and could have eaten more.

Approximate cost to prepare:
1 tub firm tofu: $1.20 (Trader Joe's organic)
1 slivered scallion and 1/8 of a red pepper: $.50 (?)
1/3 cup white miso: $1.50 (the whole container cost a little over $4.00 and I used about 1/3 of the container)
2 T. mirin - $.25 (a bottle costs about $3.00)
2 t. fresh ginger - $.25
garlic clove, salt pepper, soy sauce - negligible
1 t. roasted ssesame oil - $.25 (about .80 per ounce at Safeway)
3 T. mayo - $.50 (.17 per ounce)
TOTAL - $4.45 for 2 people and I had a lot of sauce left over.

Red Sweet Potato Curry

While completely delicious, I made this a little too spicy. The recipe called for thai red curry and I just used the thai curry paste I happened to have in my refrigerator that was given to me by my friend Carla. I think it might be green curry. The combination of sweet potatoes, coconut milk, tofu, bok choy, and sweet scallions was fantastic. It didn't take as long as I thought it would, either - only about 45 minutes. I think this would make a nice dish to introduce people to tofu. There is so much flavor that they won't really focus on the fact that they are eating tofu.

Here's what you do:

Start some rice - 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of salted water.

Cut up one pound of sweet potatoes into bite sized pieces. The recipe didn't say to peel the sweet potatoes, so I took a chance and left the skins on. It worked out beautifully. If they're anything like regular potatoes, we probably got more vitamins by leaving the skins on. Steam the sweet potatoes over boiling water. This was supposed to take 20 minutes, but I think it was more like 15 minutes.

Heat one can coconut milk with one cup of water. Add 1-2 teaspoons red thai curry. I didn't measure very well. Next time I'll be more conservative. Chop 1/2 cup cilantro and add to coconut milk. When the sweet potatoes are done, add them to the coconut mixture. I kept this over very low heat.

Heat a little oil (recipe called for peanut oil, I used olive oil) and fry cubed tofu until the water is all cooked out of it and it becomes golden. Salt it and add soy sauce (mushroom soy sauce preferred, but I used regular soy sauce). Let all the tofu get glazed by the soy sauce and then dump it into the coconut milk mixture.

Slice 6 shallots into rounds. Saute them until sweet and golden. Meanwhile, simmer baby bok choy in salted water, just a few minutes.

Serve sweet potato curry over rice. Garnish with shallots, bok choy, cilantro and lime wedges. This is so delicious.

This meal doesn't need anything else with it. The recommended wine is a Pinot Gris from Alsace, but we didn't try that since we have given up alcohol for lent. I'll try it next time I make this dish.

Things I'd do differently next time: MEASURE the curry paste. Use only 1 or 1.5 teaspoons. Taste for salt before serving. (Duh. When am I going to learn this?)

Approximate cost to prepare:
1 cup rice - $.50 (?)
1 pound sweet potatoes - $1.00
1 can coconut milk - $1.80
2 tsp. curry paste - negligible
cilantro (1/2 bunch?) - $.25
1 carton tofu - $1.25
6 shallots - $1.50
4 baby bok choy - $2.25
1 lime - $.25
oil, salt, soy sauce - negligible
TOTAL - $8.80 for 4+ servings

By the way, this recipe checks 2 recipes off my list. I made basmati rice, which is in the basics section.