Tofu cream is one of my new favorites.
I first found tofu cream — a pourable sauce made from blended tofu, miso and garlic — in Hetty Lui McKinnon’s 2023 cookbook, “Tenderheart.” Her sauce coats a mix of chewy udon and sauteed mushrooms and leeks, creating a lip-licking pasta that’s filling without feeling heavy. In her creamy vegan tofu noodles, the tofu cream is punched up with five-spice powder, tossed with wheat noodles, then drizzled with soy sauce, black vinegar and my forever favorite thing, chile crisp. As Hetty notes, this 20-minute dish will win over everyone, vegan or no. (Case in point: I’m not vegan.)
Tofu cream, I’ve found, works with any type of tofu: Add more water if your tofu is very firm, less or none if you have soft or silken tofu. Toss in some nutritional yeast, fresh herbs, onion powder, more garlic. Make it on the thicker side as a dip for veggies; thin it out to dress salads and grain bowls. But definitely, absolutely make tofu cream noodles.
CREAMY VEGAN TOFU NOODLES
(Recipe by Hetty Lui McKinnon)
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
For the noodles:
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
12 ounces thick Chinese wheat noodles
One 14-ounce package firm tofu, broken into pieces
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus a few sprigs for serving
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Toasted white sesame seeds, for garnish
For the topping:
2 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar (black vinegar), or a combination of 4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon chile oil or chile crisp, such as Chiu Chow chile oil
1 scallion, finely chopped
One 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
DIRECTIONS
Prepare the noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package instructions until the noodles are just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain well again.
As noodles cook, prepare the topping: Add vinegar, soy sauce, chile oil, scallion, ginger and 1 tablespoon water to a small bowl and stir to combine.
Place the tofu, garlic, sugar, five-spice and 3/4 teaspoon salt into a blender or food processor and blend, adding about 6 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is completely smooth and creamy. (You may need up to 12 tablespoons of water, depending on your tofu.)
Place the noodles in a large bowl and pour the tofu sauce on top. Add the cilantro and sesame oil, and toss until coated. To serve, divide the noodles among bowls. Top with the spicy soy-vinegar sauce, sesame seeds and cilantro sprigs.
CHICKEN FAJITAS
(Recipe by Ali Slagle)
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 lime, zested and juiced (about 2 teaspoons zest and 2 tablespoons juice)
1 to 2 chipotle chiles in adobo, to taste, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin or crushed cumin seeds
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
3 bell peppers, any color or a combination
1 large red onion
8 flour tortillas, plus more as needed
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 425 F. In a medium bowl, stir together 4 tablespoons oil, the lime zest and juice, chipotle chiles, cumin and paprika with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken, toss to coat and set aside to marinate while you prepare the vegetables.
Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise, remove stem and seeds and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Peel and halve the onion and cut it into 1/4-inch slices. On a sheet pan, toss the bell peppers and onion with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Gently shaking off excess marinade as you go, transfer the chicken to a second sheet pan. Roast the chicken and vegetables until the chicken is cooked through and the peppers are soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
Once the chicken is out of the oven, move an oven rack close to the broiler. Turn on the broiler and transfer the sheet pan of vegetables to the rack. Broil until charred to your liking, 2 to 5 minutes.
While the vegetables are broiling, place the tortillas directly on a free oven rack until warm, about 1 minute, flipping once halfway through. Wrap the tortillas in a kitchen towel or foil to keep them warm. Serve chicken and vegetables with tortillas and desired toppings.
SHRIMP FRIED RICE
(Recipe by Eric Kim)
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
For fried rice:
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp, thawed if frozen
Salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (any mix of carrots, peas, corn and green beans)
6 cups cooked jasmine or other long-grain white rice, preferably cold and day-old
1/4 cup soy sauce, or to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large eggs
For optional yum yum sauce:
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon warm water
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Salt
DIRECTIONS
Heat a very large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high. Add the olive oil and shrimp, and sprinkle with salt and the garlic powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp is no longer translucent and begins to turn golden at the edges, 2 to 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.
Add the onion and mixed vegetables to the shrimpy oil and cook, stirring occasionally, just until the onion loses its raw edge but is still crunchy, and the vegetables are mostly thawed, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the rice and soy sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until well combined and the rice begins to crisp underneath where it meets the pan, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more soy sauce as needed.
Scooch the rice to one side of the pan, lower the heat to medium and melt the butter on the empty side of the pan. Crack the eggs into the melted butter, break the yolks and stir vigorously to scramble the eggs, cooking just until they have set but are still tender, about 1 minute. Stir the soft scrambled eggs into the rice, add the reserved shrimp and any accumulated juices, then remove the pan from the heat.
Let the fried rice sit for a few minutes so that it can continue to crisp in the pan’s residual heat. If you haven’t already made the yum yum sauce, this is the perfect time to do it: In a medium bowl, stir together the garlic powder, paprika and warm water. Add the mayonnaise, ketchup, rice vinegar and sesame oil, and season generously with salt. Stir until smooth. (Yum yum sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.)
Drizzle most of the yum yum sauce over the fried rice in the skillet, leaving some back, if desired, to serve in a small dish on the side for dipping the shrimp
SHEET-PAN GNOCCHI WITH MUSHROOMS AND SPINACH
(Recipe by Ali Slagle)
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 35 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 pound mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake, oyster, maitake or cremini, trimmed and quartered (or cut into 1-inch pieces, if large)
One 12- to 18-ounce package shelf-stable or refrigerated potato gnocchi
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
4 scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and black pepper
5 ounces baby spinach (about 5 packed cups)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 425 F. On a sheet pan, toss together the mushrooms, gnocchi, 5 tablespoons olive oil, scallions and shallot. Season with salt and pepper, shake into an even layer, and roast without stirring until the gnocchi and mushrooms are golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the spinach and remaining tablespoon of oil, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Spread in an even layer, then return to the oven to roast until the spinach is tender, another 5 to 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the mustard, horseradish and honey until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the butter and half the sauce to the sheet pan, and stir until melted and glazy. Eat with the remaining sauce on the side.
SALMON CROQUETTES
(Recipe by Millie Peartree)
Yield: 2 main-course servings, 4 appetizer servings
Total time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
One 14-ounce can boneless, skinless salmon or 1 pound cooked salmon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup diced onion
1 garlic clove, grated
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay
1 teaspoon hot sauce, plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons seasoning of choice, such as onion powder, garlic powder, paprika or a combination
Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
Tartar sauce, for serving (optional)
DIRECTIONS
If using canned salmon, drain and discard the liquid. Flake the salmon into a large bowl; set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium and saute peppers and onions until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds; let cool slightly.
Add the sauteed veggies to the bowl with the salmon, along with 1 egg, 1/4 cup flour, the parsley, seafood seasoning, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, or pop into the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes.
Using your hands, shape the chilled mixture into 1-inch-thick patties.
Set up three separate plates or shallow bowls: one filled with the remaining 1/4 cup flour, another with the egg and a third with the panko. Season the panko with the seasoning of your choice, then lightly dip each croquette into the flour, egg then panko, coating to cover. Set the croquettes aside.
Wipe out the same pan, and heat about 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil over medium. Drop a breadcrumb in the oil, and see if it sizzles.
Gently place croquettes in oil, making sure not to crowd the pan, and pan fry until golden brown on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and serve warm, with tartar sauce or hot sauce if desired.
