During college I spent a few years as a carnivore in a vegetarians clothing. I grew up eating meat and enjoyed it, I still enjoy it. My reason for avoiding meat was strictly selfish mind you. The image of a defenseless cow falling at the hands of a blood thirsty butcher did not, and does not, turn my stomach or keep me awake at night. I do not make distinctions among different living organisms; complex, simple, central nervous systems, photosynthesizing, et cetera. Now I'm an advocate for responsible consumption of our environment; you know, that whole sustainability thing. I'll have you know that I am staring at a soapbox this very minute. It's staring back and begging me to get on it and diatribe long and hard about the virtues of eating responsibly and balanced as a human being and caring for our planet and blah blah blah blah blah. Hey soapbox, find someone else! Back to the point here.
I was presented with a diagram something like the one to the right while in ecology class. As Homer said after seeing that a respirator could assist in breathing, "here I am using my own lungs like a sucker..." For those of you who read rather than waste away in front of the television, Homer Simpson, not the dude who wrote the Odyssey. Like Mr. Simpson, I thought, "why do more work than I had to?" I cut meat out of my diet with the simple hope that consuming primary producers would give me more energy. I viewed meat eating as an inefficient way to transfer energy into my being. While that may be true it must be said that nothing tastes as good as meat, nothing! Now that is just one persons opinion but consider this, is it inefficient to let ones canines just sit there without tearing flesh?
I kept up the vegetarian thing for at least four years and I can't tell you if my hypothesis was supported or not. I enjoyed the challenge, missed meat mildly, and returned to my omnivore ways forevermore. In our home we try to consume meat no more than one or two evenings a week. We're pretty successful in accomplishing this but, as you know if you read this blog regularly, the dishes I like to doll up for photographs are usually meat-centric. More than one of my friends have requested I post vegetarian recipes more often, or more accurately, once. The only problem is that, in my mind, my vegetarian dinners are not interesting or sexy. I do think they are creative at times and usually always very tasty, just not photo-worthy. Now hear this, I vow to post more meatless menus! Let's start with this one
I brined firm tofu in salt water at room temp for about 45 minutes. Meanwhile I constructed the flavor base for a sauce.
Soy sauce, fish sauce (I know it's not vegetarian, can easily be substituted for something with lots of umami; perhaps, vegemite?), red chili flakes, cilantro, sesame oil, lime zest, and lime juice. This base went into a pot and broth was added, vegetable broth, or in my case, chicken broth was added. About 2 cups and boiled until reduced to about the same volume of sauce as shown in the little blue bowl, approximately one half cup.
As a second course I wanted completely different flavors, I was thinking Spain. While the sauce was reducing and the tofu brining I chopped shallots and garlic, and zested a lemon. The spices you see are saffron and sweet smoked paprika.
Back to the first course. I thickened the sauce with a small amount of minute tapioca.
Back left: The chopped shallots were softened in olive oil and a little salt before adding the garlic, lemon zest, and spices. Once the spices were detectable by the nose I added brown basmati rice and stirred to coat with oil for about two minutes. Next was a pretty standard risotto treatment; added one cup dry white wine, then broth cup-wise until all absorbed into the rice. Finished off with 1/8 cup cream and shredded parmesan cheese. Folded in some oil-preserved artichoke hearts.
Bottom left: sauce still reducing after the addition of minute tapioca.
Bottom right: heating veg oil in a cast iron skillet.
Scored the brined tofu and seasoned with pepper before placing into the skillet. The finished product was crispy on the outside and silky on the inside. The tapioca thickened sauce was deep and rich with meaty umami flavors and paired nice with the bright flavors of cilantro, lime supremes, and the bell pepper, spring onion, and toasted sesame salad dressed in ponzu and sesame oil.
While we ate the first course, the brown basmati risotto finished cooking. Fresh squeezed lemon brightened the flavors.
For dessert we snuggled with sweet Sadie Bug. Boz watched her during the cooking process.
